Vienna, 17 July 2026
A current study by Creditreform Austria and CH Consult shows that around 45 percent of all companies in Austria must find a succession solution by 2030.
One of the greatest challenges of the coming years is rolling toward Austria's economy: by the end of this decade, nearly every second medium-sized company must find a succession solution. This is shown by a current study by Creditreform Austria and CH Consult, for which around 1,400 entrepreneurs were surveyed.
The survey was evaluated together with data from KMU Forschung Austria and the Austrian Economic Chamber. According to this, around 51,000 employing companies will face a succession question by 2029. Approximately 692,000 jobs are directly tied to these upcoming business transfers.
External Solutions on the Rise
According to the study, 40 percent of Austrian companies are planning an external succession — that is, a sale to investors or a takeover by management and employees. At the same time, 34 percent of the surveyed entrepreneurs can imagine taking over a business themselves.
The classic route via the family is losing importance, however. "Die klassische Familiennachfolge bleibt wichtig, verliert aber kontinuierlich an Bedeutung," explains Gerhard Weinhofer of Creditreform. Where a transfer within the family does occur, it happens in 80 percent of cases without financial compensation. External buyers or employees are taking over businesses with increasing frequency, while intra-family successions continue to decline.