In brief
- Official business counts show how large a market is. Company data show which businesses you can actually reach.
- According to Statistics Austria, Austria had 628,058 active businesses of the market economy in 2024; the figures exist per industry and per federal state.
- What matters for the analysis is coverage per field: a list without addresses is no use for a mailing, one without websites none for CRM matching.
1. Define the industry
Decide which activities belong to the target market, ideally with ÖNACE codes. “Trades” or “hospitality” are not statistical units: construction is ÖNACE section F, food and beverage service is division 56, accommodation is division 55. How the codes are structured is explained in ÖNACE 2008: industry codes for target lists.
2. Read the market size from the statistics
The structural business statistics count businesses per ÖNACE position. The six largest of our 21 industries by official figure:
Scroll the table sideways.
| Industry | ÖNACE | Businesses |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare and wellness | Q 86–88, S 96.02, S 96.04 | 106,271 |
| Business and consulting services | M 69, M 70, M 73 | 53,547 |
| Retail and online retail | G 47, −47.73, −47.74 | 51,727 |
| Hospitality and tourism | I 55, I 56, N 79 | 50,872 |
| Construction and building trades | F 41, F 42, F 43 | 43,120 |
| Manufacturing and industry | C 13–33 | 29,183 |
Source: Statistics Austria, structural business statistics 2024 (table G_UNT1), reference year 2024, table created 30 June 2026, retrieved on 25 October 2026.
3. Weight by federal state
Statistics Austria also publishes the number of active businesses per federal state. Upper Austria had 92,562 active businesses in 2024, which is 14.7% of all businesses in Austria (Statistics Austria, business demography statistics, main results by federal state (open data)). All federal states with employees, births and deaths of enterprises are on the page Businesses by federal state.
Worked example: if construction were distributed like the economy as a whole, 43,120 construction businesses × 14.7% would give about 6,400 construction businesses in Upper Austria. This is a rough estimate, not an official figure: industries are not spread evenly across the federal states, accommodation for instance differs from manufacturing. The estimate is enough for a decision; for a budget, ask for the actual number of records.
4. Check reachability
Which fields you need depends on the channel. A postal mailing needs the complete business address, CRM matching the website, territory planning the postcode and district. On 3 November 2026 our database held 218,653 records, 191,590 of them with a website and 187,261 with a phone number (database status). Phone and email cannot be used for marketing without prior consent, not even towards businesses (§ 174 TKG 2021).
5. Cross-check with the sample file and a quote
Check the file layout with the sample file and ask for the number of records per field for your selection. If it is far below your estimate, businesses are missing from the source or the definition is too narrow. The Austrian company database is being extended with further sources; every quote states the data status.
Three typical mistakes
- Confusing records with businesses: a business can have several locations, and a location is not always a business of its own.
- Equating a trade licence with an industry: a trade licence in GISA does not say how a business earns its money. Statistics classify by main activity.
- Using old figures: in 2024 Statistics Austria counted 39,554 enterprise births and 33,330 closures (provisional). State the reference year in every analysis.
Frequently asked questions
How many businesses are there in Austria?
According to Statistics Austria, 628,058 businesses of the market economy were active in 2024 (structural business statistics, sections B to S excluding public administration and membership organisations). Agriculture and forestry, municipalities and associations are not part of this figure.
Where do I find the number of businesses per industry?
In the structural business statistics of Statistics Austria, broken down by ÖNACE down to the four-digit class. Each of our industry pages gives the official figure for the industry with source and scope.
Does a company database replace official statistics?
No. Statistics count completely but do not name individual businesses. A company database names individual businesses with address and contact fields but does not cover the whole market. A market analysis needs both.
As of 8 November 2026. Official figures: Statistics Austria, retrieved on 25 October 2026.
