Competitiveness and Sustainable Development of the Austrian Economy

The council recommendation (2016/C 349/01) on the establishment of national productivity councils aims at a sustainable improvement of productivity development in the European Union. The law establishing the Productivity Board in Austria also stipulates that, in addition to key figures on economic performance, aspects of ecological transformation and social responsibility are also taken into account. This background study for the Austrian Productivity Board follows a three-pillar model of competitiveness "Beyond GDP", based on economic performance, social balance and sustainable development, and examines Austria's relative position in an international comparison using selected indicators. Four special chapters are also dedicated to the major long-term challenges: climate neutrality, digitalisation, demographic change and (de-)globalisation.