Austria
Republic of Austria
Europe
Geography
Area: 83,855 sq km
Landlocked. The Alps in the south and west; flat plains along the Danube River in the east.
Population: 8,387,491 Annual Growth: 0.37%
Capital: Vienna
Urbanites: 67.6%
HDI Rank: 14 of 182 (UN Human Development Reports 2009)
Peoples
Peoples: 47 (15% unreached) All peoples
Unreached Peoples Prayer Card

Official language: German Languages: 20 All languages
Religion
Largest Religion: Christian
Prayercast
Challenges for Prayer
Austria, a nation of culture, music, art and beautiful scenery, lies for the most part spiritually empty. While 84% of Austrians believe in God (high for Europe), few have met Jesus personally. Rates of suicide, abortion and alcoholism indicate the great need for spiritual foundations. Pray for the shell of religion in this nation to be filled by the living presence of Christ.
Austrias longstanding Catholic culture is in serious decline. Record numbers leave the Church each year. Annual membership loss accelerated through the 1990s and 2000s to around 1% per year, a trend showing no sign of changing. The church tax (1% taxable income) and prominent sex scandals among the clergy both contribute to breaks from the church. Seeking God outside the confines of Catholicism is little understood at present. Pray fervently for the growing renewal movement in the Catholic Church.
For an additional 8 Challenges for Prayer see Operation World book, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM.