Austria

2018

2025

2022

The highest possible score for a country is 100, and the lowest is -15. You can expand the different sections below to understand how the score was calculated for each indicator.

Indicator scores

Anti-Discrimination Legislation Applicable to Education

7.5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

The Fundamental Decree on Sexual Pedagogy (2015) [47] was issued by the Federal Ministry ofEducation and Women’s Affairs. The decree has similar effect to a law passed by the parliament and it states that sexuality is part of the human development process and that educational institutions have a clear responsibility when it comes to teaching sexual education. According to this document, schools should contribute to enabling children and adolescents to develop their own values, without having to be afraid of being discriminated against on grounds of who they are. Sexual education should be included in cross-disciplinary curricula (i.e. biology, health and education, religion, psychology, etc.) and should be guided by the principle of gender equality and the diversity of humanity (i.e. sexual orientation, gender identities), convey competencies (i.e. critical thinking, communication skills) and be oriented towards international human rights. A controversial public debate followed the adoption of the act.

Furthermore, all nine Austrian regional states (Vienna [48], Burgenland [49], Styria [50], Carinthia[51], Salzburg [52], Tyrol [53], Vorarlberg [54], Lower Austria [55] and Niederösterreich [56]) offer comprehensive protection from discrimination in the field of education (mentioning sexual orientation). Vienna also offers protection from discrimination mentioning sexual identity. However, the current regulations remain confined to matters falling into the regulatory competence of the concerned states and this results in a substantial gap in legal protection due to absence of legislation on federal level. With regards to gender identity, Vienna is the only regional state with a specific legislation currently in place. If transgender persons feel discriminated against, their complaint is accordingly filed under the discrimination ground of gender, except in Vienna. Neither of the cited statutes makes explicit reference to transgender issues. Transgender specific issues, including gender identity and transsexuality, are considered by legal doctrine to be covered by the discrimination ground of gender (Geschlecht).

Policies and Action Plans

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No anti-bullying policy or national action plan: 0/10 | Anti-bullying policy or national action plan covering one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Women, a national strategy for the prevention of violence was developed on the basis of relevant literature and intensive discussions with staff. Weiße Feder (2008) [57] is the Austrian national anti-bullying strategy launched by the Ministry of Education. The main goal of this strategy is to promote sensitivity and knowledge about the different forms of violence, social and personal skills against violence and responsibility, and moral courage. Diversity in regard to sexual orientation appears in the mid-term-report evaluation of this strategy, but this is not specifically mentioned in the general guidelines of the national strategy.The strategy also has a binary conception of gender, and diversity in regard to gender identity ande xpression, or variations in sex characteristics is not referenced. With the national strategy, the Department of Education has brought numerous projects and measures for fairness to the schools.In 1998 the city of Vienna established the Viennese Anti discrimination Unit for Lesbian, Gay andTransgender Issues (WASt) [58]. Its main objective is to tackle prejudices and discrimination directed towards LGBT people. As well as holding public discussions, workshops and speeches, the agency held 31 trainings at different educational institutions within Vienna [59].

Inclusive Compulsory Education Curricula

7.5

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No evidence of compulsory national curricula inclusive of LGBTQI people: 0/10 | The compulsory national curricula includes representation of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The Fundamental Decree on Sexual Pedagogy (1990) stipulates that inclusive sex education should be integrated into several subjects. The decree is meant as a guiding principle across all different subjects in school. It is embedded in health education and often delivered in the form of projects involving external experts. The program is mandatory for all students.

However, the Austrian school and education system is very fragmented and local activists report that the curriculum varies from school to school. A recent research carried out by TGEU indicates that LGBTQI issues are not addressed in a systematic or standard way in schools even though sexual education is part of the curriculum [60]. There are no specific requirements concerning the number of hours for sexual education, and it is therefore up to the teacher to decide how they integrate sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Variations in sex characteristics are not mentioned, and it is therefore very likely that, if at all, this topic will be addressed in rather normative biological ways, which exclude and further stigmatise intersex individuals in Austrian schools. Studies on the experiences of intersex people in the Austrian education system affirm this assumption.

Several LGBTQI organisations offer workshops to schools and youth centres (see Good practices and campaigns). These organisations or projects, however, are not funded by the public sector.Teachers may invite experts to their school, in order to have a workshop on LGBTQI issues (such as anti-discrimination, diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, variations in sex characteristics or queer friendly sex education). In practice, it is up to the individual teacher todecide how much they include LGBTQI issues into their lessons.

Mandatory Teacher Training on LGBTQI Inclusion

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

No mention of SOGIGESC in the mandatory teacher training programme: 0/10 Mandatory teacher training program with mention of one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Overall, LGBTQI issues are not included as a compulsory part of teacher trainings, but there are specific training initiatives for teachers. The University of Applied Arts Vienna offers a course on the topic of diversity and (trans)gender in the context of didactics. The University of Vienna offers courses on gender diversity where queer pedagogy is also being taught.

The Teaching Principles (Unterrichtsprinzipien) function as relevant teaching guidelines for any school subject of a certain school form. According to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance [61], however, teachers are not sufficiently prepared to address LGBTQI issues and either do not cover them adequately or do not include them at all. Verein Ausgesprochen is an association that creates a platform for LGBTQI teachers in Austria. They provide specific workshops and guidelines for teachers.

School Environment and Inclusion

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Hostile environment

Hostile school environment and no government partnership with civil society: -5/10 | There is no evidence of the government providing funding or working in partnership with civil society: 0/10 | The government provides funding and works in partnership with civil society to promote inclusive education for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The Austrian government provides little funding for LGBTQI civil society organisations. The only national funding recipient is an organisation working on the issue of rainbow families calledFAmOs (www.regenbogenfamilien.at). This organisation is funded by the Ministry of Family andYouth. Local governments (by the provincial states) provide limited funding for regional LGBTQIcivil society organisations. Information on funding is however not sufficiently clear. For instance, in mid 2015 national council representative, Michael Pock launched a parliamentary inquiry with regards to the general funding situation of LGBTI associations in Austria. Except the Ministry ofHealth, which provided little information, no answers were given by the remaining ministries, highlighting the funding gap that such investigation would cause.

Legal Gender Recognition

/10

Legal gender recognition without self-determination

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (over 16)

Legal gender recognition with self-determination (under 16)

No gender recognition provisions: 0/10 | There are laws and provisions, but with legal/medical/psychological approval: 5/10 | There are laws for self-determination, but only for those over 16 years of age: 7,5/10 | There are laws on gender self-determination, including those under 16 years of age: 10/10

Currently, there are only administrative procedures for gender recognition; changing name and gender marker in official documents, but there is no specific legislation. In 2006, the Constitutional Court annulled secondary legislation on the ground that it lacked an adequate legal basis (ConstitutionalCourt No. V4/06, 08.06.2006). In 2014, the Federal Ministry for Health issued recommendations according to which a medical opinion is needed prior to any change in the personal status [62].

Data Collection on Bullying and Harassment

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of national or regional data collection on bullying and harassment in education environments, or SO, GIGE and SC are not specifically mentioned: 0/10 | National or regional data on bullying and harassment in education environments is collected and disaggregated for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

The government does not provide data on homophobic, biphobic, transphobic and interphobic bullying. There are nine education inspectorates (one for each federal state) and they might collect specific information within their region, but there is no national regulation about how they segregate it.

Support Systems for Young People

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

There is no evidence of support systems specifically designed for LGBTQI learners: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities, but the providers lack training in LGBTQI-related issues: 0/10 | Direct or indirect support systems are provided by schools or local authorities for one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Teachers are legally obliged to ensure the mental and physical well-being of students, but there is no specific training. Psychological support systems (school psychologist, school social worker, etc.)might have specific services, but there is no regulation on how to support students who have faced discrimination on grounds of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or variations in sex characteristics.

Information and Guidelines

/10

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

Anti-LGBTQI Measures

Policies prohibiting the presence of LGBTQI-related information are in place: -5/10 | Schools are not required to adopt inclusive education guidelines: 0/10 | Information or guidelines for LGBTQI inclusion adopted by schools that mention one ground of discrimination: 5/10 | Two grounds: 7.5/10 | Three grounds: 10/10

Recently, the government has presented guidelines in the framework of the networking meeting of the national strategy for school violence prevention with specific information about LGBTQI learners [63] [64]. From 2006 until 2008, the Schoolmates [65] project was carried out as an international cooperation project in order to investigate, highlight and combat homophobic bullying.This was an international cooperation project developed by different civil society organisations. InAustria, it was implemented by the association Wiener Antidiskriminierungsstelle für gleichgeschlechtliche und transgender Lebensweisen (WASt).

International Commitments

/10

Member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network

Ratified the UNESCO Ministerial Call to Action

Neither Member in the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 0/10 | Member of the EFPN or ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 5/10 | Member of the EFPN and ratification of the UNESCO Call for Action: 10/10

Austria signed the Call for Action by Ministers – Inclusive and equitable education for all learnersi n an environment free from discrimination and violence.

Austria is member of the European Governmental LGBTI Focal Points Network

View the map scored by indicator

Grounds of discrimination

Here is the country's score on each ground of discrimination on which we based our observations for 8 of the 10 indicators presented above.

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression

Sex characteristics (intersex)

See the map scored by ground of discrimination

Country score evolution

2025

/100

2022

/100

2018

/100

To enable a meaningful comparison of country progress over time, we have retroactively aligned the scoring systems used in the 2018 and 2022 Editions of IGLYO’s LGBTQI Inclusive Education Index with the updated 2025 scoring criteria.
While each edition of the research has built on the previous one, reflecting evolving standards and priorities in inclusive education, minor changes to indicators and scoring weights were introduced in 2022 and 2025 to improve clarity, consistency, and comprehensiveness.
By recalculating the earlier scores according to the 2025 framework, we have tried to ensure comparability across all three editions and provide a more accurate picture of progress, stagnation, or regression in each country’s approach to LGBTQI-inclusive education.
For this reason, you might find some scores in the PDF Report & Index 2018 and 2022 differing from those on the Education website for these two years.

Good practices

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