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The primary sector (agriculture and forestry) accounted for only about 3% of Austria´s gross domestic product, while the secondary sector (commodities manufacture, energy, mining) accounted for about 35%, and the tertiary sector (services, banking, public services, commerce, transport, tourism) accounted for about 62% of GDP.
Some 18% of Austria´s surface area is covered by farm land, 27% by grassland and 47% by woods and forests. 41% of Austria´s total area is suitable for agriculture. 5% of all employed persons in Austria work in agriculture and forestry. With its 20,000 organic farmers, Austria occupies a leading position in this branch of agriculture in Europe.
In the field of raw materials and energy generation Austria can draw on abundant resources. It has deposits of iron ore, non-ferrous metals, important minerals and earths. However, the constant growth of the industrial sector necessitates supplementary imports to an ever increasing degree. This is also true of fuels and energy and of the electricity generating industry. Austria has its own resources of oil and natural gas. Austria is the European Union´s number one generator of hydro-electric power.
The predominant feature of Austria´s industrial and commercial sectors is its high proportion of medium-size enterprises. Austrian industry covers every branch of manufacture, from basic goods to the labour-intensive production of finished goods. Ever greater importance attaches to plant construction (encompassing the planning, delivery and assembly of turn-key industrial facilities including the requisite operational expertise). This field is strongly export-oriented, as is the electronics sector (e.g. the production of integrated circuits).
Austria´s handicrafts are famous throughout the world - most notably fine hand-crafted items, costume jewellery, ceramics and glassware.
One of the areas in the tertiary sector which reports high rates of foreign currency earnings is tourism. In 2003, there were all in all 118 million overnight stays, of which foreign visitors accounted for 86.3 million.
As an export-oriented country, Austria maintains a wide-ranging and highly diverse foreign trade system. It trades with some 150 countries. The countries of the European Union account for some two thirds of Austria´s foreign trade.
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