Vienna is treating a significant percentage of outpatients from across Austria, according to data released by the city’s health officials on Wednesday. The figures highlight Vienna’s role as a major healthcare hub for the country.
The data, from the Austrian Association of Social Insurance Carriers, focuses on patients seen by private doctors, a segment that has received less attention than hospital patients in previous discussions. A spokesperson said the city isn’t seeking to criticize the care provided elsewhere, but rather to emphasize Vienna’s system’s capacity, which is often questioned.
In 2024, approximately 8.384 million patients were treated by private doctors throughout Austria. Nearly 2.995 million of those patients – 35.73 percent of the total – received care in Vienna.
The majority of Vienna’s patients reside within the city itself, totaling around 1.774 million. Following Vienna, 951,500 patients came from Lower Austria. Patients from Burgenland accounted for 121,900, a smaller proportion compared to Lower Austria.
Doctor Density
The data also reveals that 58.77 percent of all Lower Austrian residents who visited a private doctor were treated in Vienna. Vienna ranks second in terms of physician density in the statutory health insurance sector, with 84.7 doctors per 100,000 residents. Burgenland leads with 86.1 doctors per 100,000.
Vienna officials note that the city’s physician density has increased from 81.6 to 84.7 per 100,000 residents since 2021 – a rise of 3.7 percent. During the same period, Burgenland’s density decreased by 6.2 percent. Lower Austria has the lowest density at 70.1, followed by Upper Austria at 66.8.
Criticism of Current Government
Documents from Peter Hacker’s office indicate criticism of the current government’s healthcare policies. Officials point out that “the density of medical care in the statutory health insurance sector has drastically decreased everywhere since the ÖGK reform by the Black-Blue coalition in 2019.”
While Vienna is the only state to have reversed this trend since 2021, officials say the capital city has not fully recovered.
The city plans to further improve access to care through the expansion of regional health centers in 2024 and 2025. The effects of this expansion will be reflected in a monitoring report scheduled for release in June 2026. Hacker’s office expressed optimism, stating, “It’s expected that the development in the other eight states will continue, while in Vienna it will likely continue to improve.”
