Young people as voters

Voting at 16 (Wählen mit 16)

In Austria, the right to vote, or active suffrage, is set at 16 years of age. In 2007, the voting age was lowered from 18 to 16 in order to encourage greater youth participation in democracy. This reform reflected the view that, by the age of 16, young people are sufficiently mature and responsible, given that they already have criminal responsibility and extended legal capacity, and are beginning to make key decisions about their education, work and future. The Austrian National Council (Nationalrat) introduced the reform as part of the 2007 electoral law changes. Due to the constitutional principle of homogeneity, this provision applies uniformly to all levels of government and covers elections to municipal, provincial, and national councils, the Federal Presidency, the European Parliament and all forms of direct democracy, such as referendums and petitions. EU citizens aged 16 and over who reside in Austria may also vote in European and municipal elections. 

The Austrian National Election Study (AUNTES) also examined the effects of lowering the voting age in its project ‘Voting at 16 in the 2013 National Council Election’. A subsequent report commissioned by the Austrian Parliamentary Directorate analysed first-time voters in the 2017 National Council election: ‘Wählen mit 16 – Erstwähler:innen bei der Nationalratswahl 2017’ (Kritzinger, Wagner & Glavanovits, 2018). The findings show that political interest among first-time voters increased when their parents were engaged in the election campaign, when schools provided opportunities for political discussion and project work, and when young people had been exposed to election debates or visited Parliament. Political knowledge, together with political interest, proved to be a key driver of voter turnout. The study therefore concludes that lowering the voting age had positive effects: 16- and 17- year-olds were well prepared to take part in elections, and their comparatively high turnout is likely to have long-term benefits for democratic participation. 

Young voter turnout

National Elections

In Austria’s 2024 national election (Wahl 2024), overall voter turnout stood at 77.7%, while participation among voters under 34 was estimated notably lower, at around 66%. Among young voters, the right-wing populist Freedom Party (FPÖ) emerged as the strongest party with 27%, whereas support for the Greens and Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) declined significantly compared to 2019. Younger voters were much likelier to choose progressive and alternative parties (such as the KPÖ and Bierpartei), whereas the older generation favoured more established parties such as the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). Key issues influencing youth voting behaviour included rising living costs, migration, and the protection of democracy, while climate change lost some its previous importance. Overall, the results indicate that young people’s political choices are shaped more by current concerns than by long-term party loyalty. 

In recent years, there have been significant fluctuations in the turnout of young voters in Austria following the lowering of the voting age to 16 in 2007. A strong ‘first-time boost’ was seen at the 2008 national election, with 88% turnout among first-time voters aged 16. This declined to 63% at the 2013 election, which was below the general turnout. However, both political interest and turnout rose in 2017. Of those surveyed, 86.9% of 16- to 17-year-olds intended to vote, and the actual turnout for this age group was higher than for 18- to 19-year-olds. This suggests that youth participation depends on political interest and that an early voting age, when combined with supportive education and outreach, can encourage sustained engagement among Austria’s youngest eligible voters (Austrian Society for European Politics, n.d.). 

European Election

In Austria's 2024 European election, young voters (aged 16–19) displayed balanced and diverse voting patterns, with no clear shift towards the right, as reflected in the turnout of young voters across the EU. The Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) each gained around 20%, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) 19%, while the Communist Party (KPÖ) made notable gains, rising to 10%. Meanwhile, the Greens dropped sharply from 28% in 2019 to 12%. Analysts attribute these shifts less to radicalisation than to high voter mobility, given that young people tend to be more open to changing their political preferences. Outsider parties such as the FPÖ and KPÖ attracted voters who feel disconnected from traditional politics, while the Greens lost their appeal as an alternative after entering government. Despite this dynamism, youth voter turnout remains below average (DerStandard 2024). 

Young people as political representatives

A distinction is made between active and passive suffrage in Austria. Citizens gain the right to vote, or active suffrage, at the age of 16, while the right to stand for election, or passive suffrage, generally begins at 18. An exception applies to the office of Federal President, for which candidates must be at least 35 years old. 

Although there is no law stipulating age limits for joining a political party, most parties allow membership from the age of 16, and some from the age of 14, as set out in their respective party statutes. Most major Austrian political parties have youth organisations (including the Young People's Party - JVP, the Socialist Youth - SJÖ, the Green Youth, the Ring of Freedom Youth - RFJ, and the JUNOS) and affiliated student or pupil council lists (Schülervertretung und Studierendenvertretung), which are both statutory representatives of their constituencies. 

Age distribution national assembly (reporting date 24.09.2025)

The Website of the Austrian parliament provides detailed information on the age and gender distribution of members of the National Assembly, showing youth representation among elected officials.