Government and politics in Lower Austria, Austria: official figures
Lower Austria sends 12 of the 60 members of the Federal Council (Bundesrat), according to the Parliament's member list of 24 September 2026.
Which parties represent Lower Austria in the Bundesrat?
By party, Lower Austria's Federal Council delegation was ÖVP 5, FPÖ 3, SPÖ 3, Greens 1 in September 2026.
Source: Parliament of Austria (Parlamentsdirektion) · saved copyHow many municipalities are there in Lower Austria?
Lower Austria is divided into 24 administrative districts (including 4 statutory towns) and 573 municipalities; its capital is St. Pölten.
Source: Statistik Austria · saved copyHow many people work for the Land of Lower Austria?
The Land of Lower Austria employed 27,820 staff (full-time equivalents) at the end of 2024, of whom 13,125 were Land teachers; that is 16.1 per 1,000 residents, the highest of 8 Länder outside Vienna.
Source: Statistik Austria · saved copyMore figures
- The first seat of Lower Austria's Bundesrat delegation is held by Katja SEITNER (ÖVP), as of 24 September 2026. Source: Parliament of Austria (Parlamentsdirektion) · saved copy
- With 6.9 Federal Council seats per million residents, Lower Austria is 4th least represented of 9 Länder relative to population. Source: Parliament of Austria (Parlamentsdirektion) · saved copy
- 31.4% of Lower Austria's residents live in municipalities of 2,500 people or fewer, according to the population figures used for revenue sharing in 2024. Source: Statistik Austria · saved copy
- A further 23,174 people with an employment contract with the Land of Lower Austria worked in its separately run hospitals at the end of 2024, and its municipalities employed 20,129 staff (11.7 per 1,000 residents). Source: Statistik Austria · saved copy
How Lower Austria compares with other states
Seats in the Federal Council (Bundesrat), September 2026 (2026)
Lower Austria ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Seats in the Federal Council (Bundesrat), September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Austria | 12 |
| 2 | Upper Austria | 10 |
| 3 | Vienna | 10 |
| 4 | Styria | 9 |
| 5 | Tyrol | 5 |
| 6 | Carinthia | 4 |
| 7 | Salzburg | 4 |
Federal Council seats per million residents (2026)
Lower Austria ranks 6 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Federal Council seats per million residents |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Styria | 7.1 |
| 4 | Carinthia | 7.0 |
| 5 | Salzburg | 7.0 |
| 6 | Lower Austria | 6.9 |
| 7 | Upper Austria | 6.5 |
| 8 | Tyrol | 6.4 |
| 9 | Vienna | 4.9 |
Land government staff (full-time equivalents, incl. Land teachers) per 1,000 residents (Vienna excluded) (2024)
Lower Austria ranks 1 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Land government staff (full-time equivalents, incl. Land teachers) per 1,000 residents (Vienna excluded) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Austria | 16.1 |
| 2 | Burgenland | 15.5 |
| 3 | Vorarlberg | 14.9 |
| 4 | Carinthia | 14.6 |
| 5 | Upper Austria | 14.0 |
| 6 | Tyrol | 13.5 |
| 7 | Styria | 13.4 |
Number of municipalities (Gemeinden), 1 January 2024 (Vienna is one municipality) (2024)
Lower Austria ranks 1 of 9, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Number of municipalities (Gemeinden), 1 January 2024 (Vienna is one municipality) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lower Austria | 573 |
| 2 | Upper Austria | 438 |
| 3 | Styria | 286 |
| 4 | Tyrol | 277 |
| 5 | Burgenland | 171 |
| 6 | Carinthia | 132 |
| 7 | Salzburg | 119 |
More on Lower Austria: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Austria
Sources
- Parliament of Austria (Parlamentsdirektion): Liste der Mitglieder und Ersatzmitglieder des Bundesrates nach Bundesländern (as of 24 September 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 73beeb9033ec…)
- Statistik Austria: Austria. Data. Figures. Facts 2025/26, chapter Federal provinces (province profiles and "at a glance" tables), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cf78b39a8c26…)
- Statistik Austria: Gebarungsübersicht 2024 (public finance accounts of the federal government, the Länder, Vienna and the municipalities, tables 2.1-2.5, 3.1-3.5, 4.1-4.6), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 97d45ac8a0bf…)
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