Austria/ 6. Financing of culture  

6.1 Short overview

In 2006, approximately 2.1 billion EUR, or 1.30% of all public expenditure, was spent on culture and the arts by the federal, provincial and local governments; in 2005, the total sum spent on culture and the arts was 2.01 billion EUR, or 1.34% of all public expenditure. In 2006, 32.62% of this budget is spent by the federal government, while the remainder is divided among the provincial governments, including Vienna with 35.6%, and the municipalities with 31.78%. In 2005, 34.7% of this budget is spent by the federal government, while the remainder is divided among the provincial governments, including Vienna with 34.4%, and the municipalities with 31.0%.

The years 2001 and 2003 were the first years in the history of public funding of the arts and culture that the total provided by provincial governments including Vienna, in nominal terms, was greater than that provided by the federal government. In the year 2005, the public funding of the arts and culture that the federal government provided, in nominal terms, was insignificantly greater than that provided by provincial governments including Vienna. From the budget year 2000, the first one calculated in EUR, public funds for the arts and culture increased at federal level in nominal terms from 668.8 million EUR to 695.9 million EUR by 2005. This is an increase of 4%. During the same period, the total sum at the level of provincial governments increased from 593.5 million EUR to 673.96 million EUR. This is an impressive increase of 16.3%.

A high percentage (approx. 50%) of federal expenditure on culture goes towards the maintenance of large-scale projects and institutions such as the federal theatres and museums as well as to performing arts activities - the majority of which are located in Vienna. Federal theatres are financed by the Federal Chancellery while the federal museums are financed from the budget of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.

Subsidies from the Bundesländer (excluding Vienna) have more than tripled since 1980. The majority of resources are spent on education, followed by the performing arts. The former includes considerable investment in music schools and conservatories.

Additional support for "non-traditional" fields of culture, such as contemporary art or more general art promotion, is derived from indirect levies e.g. on radio licences. An advisory board monitors spending within the Federal Chancellery and the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. Seven Bundesländer have emulated this example and levy a "broadcasting, radio or culture schilling". The extra funds have, in fact, made quite an impact on the budgets of some public institutions (in some cases up to 15% of the culture budget). Funds are also obtained from "blank tapes" levied by collecting societies.