Small and medium enterprises in Austria – facts and figures
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of Austria`s economy. They are an essential source of jobs, create entrepreneurial spirit and innovation and are crucial for fostering competitiveness.
According to the EU SME definition, which entered into force on 1 January 2005, the category of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises is made up of enterprises which employ fewer than 250 persons and which have an annual turnover not exceeding 50 million Euro, and/or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding 43 million Euro.
In 2021, 99.6 percent, respectively about 358,600 enterprises of the total business economy, were SMEs. More than 2 million people were employed and approximately 52,400 apprentices were trained in Austrian SMEs. In 2021, SMEs generated sales revenues of 535,4 billion Euro (net) and gross value added at factor costs of 137,4 billion Euro.
For a summary of representative facts and figures on the situation of SMEs in Austria, please refer to the report "KMU im Fokus 2021" (PDF, 7 MB) (available in German only) and the "Executive Summary" (PDF, 1 MB) of this report (in English).
For further information: Austrian Institute for SME Research