VIENNA — The number of Muslim students in public schools in the Austrian capital has risen significantly, according to the city’s education authority. The latest figures show that about 42% of all public school students in Vienna are Muslim.
The Austrian daily Die Presse reported that Vienna’s public schools enroll about 114,000 students in total. Muslims now make up the largest single religious group. Students with no religious affiliation account for 23%, Catholics 17% and Orthodox Christians 14%.
The Belgium-based outlet Brussels Signal cited the figures in a separate report. It said the Muslim share is even higher in public secondary and polytechnic schools, which enroll students ages 10 to 15, where Muslims account for nearly 49%. In primary schools for children ages 6 to 10, the share is about 39%.
Kenan Güngör, an integration expert, said the shift accelerated after 2015 with large-scale migration from Muslim-majority countries including Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. He said birth rates among immigrant families are comparatively higher, which is reflected in school enrollment.
Güngör said most Muslims in Austria were once of Turkish origin, but the number of Arab immigrants has grown in recent years, bringing changes in religious and social attitudes. He said religious practice in Arab Muslim communities tends to be more conservative, which is influencing students’ social behavior and values.
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