Industrial Regions Continue their Economic Growth Lead in 2011

With demand for investment once again on the rise and foreign trade (in goods) briskly growing across much of 2011, the Länder with a large share of industrial production were favoured over those more focused on services. Upper Austria and Styria again vied for first place in economic growth, followed by Vorarlberg and Lower Austria. In 2011, the regional pattern of business growth was much more strongly shaped by differences in sectoral dynamics than by regional growth differences within sectors, with manufacturing furnishing the largest contribution to regional growth in all of the Länder. Stumbling export growth rates in mid-year narrowed down what were originally considerable regional growth differences yet did not endanger the top positions of the industrial Länder in a year-long review.