In Vienna’s primary and secondary schools, Muslim students now make up the largest religious group. Current figures show an increase to 41.2 percent, compared to 39.4 percent the previous year. The second-largest group is Christian children, accounting for 34.5 percent. Among them, 17.5 percent are Roman Catholic and 14.5 percent belong to the Orthodox Church. An additional 23 percent of students are non-religious. Children with Buddhist or Jewish beliefs together make up only 0.3 percent. All other religions sum up to 0.9 percent.
The data was collected through an investigation by Vienna’s Education Department and includes approximately 112,600 children attending primary, secondary, special and polytechnic schools. The city sees both opportunities and challenges in the growing proportion of Muslim students. It is particularly important to teach democratic values, gender equality and respect for different lifestyles during early years.
According to the Education Department, studies show that Muslim youth are generally more religiously influenced and often hold traditional or derogatory views. These include anti-Semitic attitudes, the rejection of sexual diversity and a low acceptance of gender equality.
As a response, the Education City Council member demands a mandatory shared subject for all children starting from primary school. This subject aims to teach democratic understanding, ethical orientation and societal values. The goal is to counteract parallel worlds and strengthen social cohesion.
The initiative is backed by the Ministry of Education, which has already announced plans for a corresponding subject. The changes in schools reflect the city’s demographic development and pose new demands on education and integration policies.