A/HRC/20/26/Add.1 B. Ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity 8. Austria is a culturally diverse society enriched by communities from various ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds. According to the 2011 register-based census, the total population in Austria exceeded 8.4 million inhabitants.1 In 2009, 1,468 million people residing in Austria had a migrant background, 385,500 being second-generation migrants and 1,082 million first-generation migrants.2 Currently, the number of foreign nationals living in Austria is 957,000, approximately 11 per cent of the population.3 Nationals from all countries of former Yugoslavia represent the largest group of immigrants, followed by those from Germany and Turkey.4 Other foreign nationals include people from other States in Europe, as well as Africa, Asia and America. Austria is also home to 13 different religious communities. 9. Six national minorities, called “ethnic groups” in national laws, are officially recognized in Austria: Hungarians, Croats, Slovenes, Czechs, Roma and Sinti, and Slovaks. Other minorities, such as the Jenische and the Poles, are not recognized as national minorities. 10. A decade ago, the 2001 census enumerated 25,884 Austrian citizens using Hungarian as their colloquial language concentrated in Burgenland and Vienna; 19,374 Burgenland Croatian-speaking citizens; 17,953 Slovene-speaking citizens mainly in Carinthia and Styria; 11,035-Czech speaking citizens mostly living in Vienna and Lower Austria; 4,348 Romanes-speaking citizens mostly in the eastern part of the country, particularly Burgenland, Vienna and Lower Austria; and 3,343 Slovak-speaking citizens in the eastern regions of Austria.5 Members of national minorities have been migrating in large numbers to other regions of Austria, mainly to the city of Vienna. Today, the capital city is home to Croats, Roma, Slovaks, Czechs, and Hungarians as well as a vast number of migrants. The current number of people belonging to ethnic minorities is unknown since the 2011 census did not include information on ethnic background or language. 11. The Austrian legal framework on ethnic minorities grants particular rights to officially recognized national minorities residing in their historical settlements in the Länder. In particular, any community with a sufficient number of residents belonging to a national minority is required to provide for bilingual topographic signs, education and for the use of minority language(s) in official dealings. Recognized national minorities also benefit from earmarked federal funds to safeguard and promote their cultures. These rights are not afforded to members of these communities who opt to live outside the specified Länder settlements. 12. In line with the multi-ethnic and multicultural background that forms Austrian society, the Government has put into place a number of initiatives and regulations to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue, as well as to facilitate access to culture for all, including minorities, migrants and persons with disabilities. However, a number of obstacles hinder the full realization of cultural rights in the country, particularly 1 2 3 4 5 4 On 31 October 2011 the first register-based census was conducted in Austria. Its final results will be published in June 2013; http://www.statistik.at/web_de/presse/059977. Migration and Integration: Facts, figures, indicators, ed. Statistik Austria et al. (2010), p. 1. http://www.statistik.at/web_en/dynamic/press/059990 Austria: Data, figures, facts; ed. Statistik Austria (Vienna, 2010), p. 21. Austria: Data, figures, facts; ed. Statistik Austria (Vienna, 2010), p. 17. The census only gives an approximate idea of the sizes of the resident ethnic groups in Austria. People were asked which colloquial language they spoke rather than to what ethnic group they belonged. Austria: Data, figures, facts; ed. Statistik Austria (Vienna, 2010), p.16f.