How much food and water to stock in Austria? Official guidance

Short answer. Austrian authorities and the Austrian Civil Protection Association (ÖZSV) recommend that every household keep food and drink for 14 days (two weeks) ¹²³. Plan at least 2.5 litres of water and other drinks per person per day ²³. The ÖZSV's example list counts 21 litres of drinks per person for 14 days, based on 2,000 kcal a day ¹.

How many days of supplies does Austria recommend?

Two weeks. The ÖZSV brochure states that a household stock should contain staple foods and other easily stored, long-lasting foods for two weeks ("für zwei Wochen") ¹. The Interior Ministry's radiation protection guide includes a two-week stockpile chapter ², and the Tyrol state flyer gives the same advice ³. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BMLUK) states that a 14-day household food stock continues to be recommended ⁴.

The BMLUK makes this recommendation in the context of a blackout ⁴, and the Interior Ministry in its guide on nuclear power plant accidents ².

How much water per person per day?

At least 2.5 litres of water and other drinks per person per day, according to the Interior Ministry and the Land Tyrol ²³. The ÖZSV list is built differently: it notes that of the 2.5 litres the body needs daily, about 1.5 litres is taken as drinks (the rest comes from food), and so counts 21 litres of drinks per person for 14 days: 14 litres of mineral water and 7 litres of fruit or vegetable juice ¹.

The first column multiplies the 2.5-litre daily figure ²³; the second multiplies the ÖZSV list total ¹. If you are unsure, the higher figure is the safer basis. For general background, see How much water to store per person per day? and How do you make water safe to drink in an emergency?.

How much food per person for two weeks?

The ÖZSV gives totals per person for 14 days ¹:

The ÖZSV presents its detailed list as an example ("als Beispiel zu verstehen"), not a fixed rule ¹. Adapt it to what your household actually eats, and add spices, diet food, baby food and pet food as needed ¹. The full line-by-line list is on our Austria kit page. To keep the stock fresh, see How long does emergency food last, and how do you rotate it?.

What else belongs in the stock besides food?

The official lists also include ²¹³:

• a home first-aid kit and your prescription medicines;
• hygiene items (toothbrush, soap, toilet paper, sanitary products, bin bags, cleaning products);
• a battery radio and spare batteries, because ORF broadcasts crisis information;
• a torch, candles, matches or a lighter, and a petroleum or gas lamp;
• a spirit or camping stove, and an emergency heater with fuel;
• a document folder and an emergency backpack (Notgepäck).

The Interior Ministry's guide also lists a fine-dust mask for short stays outdoors while contaminated air passes ². Potassium iodide tablets appear on the lists, to be taken only on order of the health authority ²¹³; see our Austria iodine page.

For cooking and heating safely without power, see How do you cook and heat food safely without electricity? and How do you use a generator or heater safely in an emergency?.

Which official booklets cover this?

Austria has no recent national crisis-preparedness mailing ²¹³. The reference documents are:

• the Interior Ministry's "Strahlenschutzratgeber" (7th revised edition, April 2007), with its two-week stockpile chapter ²;
• the ÖZSV brochure "Der krisenfeste Haushalt – Bevorraten" (PDF dated 2019) ¹;
• state flyers such as Tyrol's "Vorgesorgt! Zur Sicherheit" (2018) ³.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 14-day stock a legal obligation in Austria?

No source we cite presents it as an obligation. It is a recommendation from the authorities and the ÖZSV ¹⁴.

How much water does a family of four need for two weeks?

At the official rate of at least 2.5 litres per person per day, 140 litres ²³. The ÖZSV list counts 84 litres of drinks (21 litres each), because part of the daily need is covered by food ¹.

Does the ÖZSV list assume a specific calorie intake?

Yes. It is based on 2,000 kcal per person per day ¹.

Should I include iodine tablets in my stock?

They appear on the official lists, but must only be taken on explicit order of the authorities ²¹. Who should take them depends on age; see the iodine page.

Sources

1. Österreichischer Zivilschutzverband (Zivilschutzverband Steiermark edition, hosted by Gemeinde St. Anna am Aigen) — Der krisenfeste Haushalt – Bevorraten — https://www.st-anna-aigen.gv.at/fileadmin/red_gem/Brosch%C3%BCre_Bevorratung_ZSV_3618.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Bundesministerium für Inneres (BMI), Abt. II/4 Zivilschutz — Strahlenschutzratgeber – Verhalten bei Kernkraftwerksunfällen, Anleitung für vorbeugende Maßnahmen (7. Auflage, April 2007) — https://www.bmi.gv.at/204/download/files/007_strahlenschutzratgeber.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Amt der Tiroler Landesregierung, Zivil- und Katastrophenschutz / Zivilschutz Tirol — Vorgesorgt! Zur Sicherheit – Die Haushaltsbevorratung — https://tirol.gv.at/fileadmin/themen/sicherheit/feuerwehr-und-rettungswesen/downloads/Flyer/2018_Vorrat.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Klima- und Umweltschutz, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft (BMLUK) — Lebensmittelversorgungssicherheit im Blackout-Fall — https://www.bmluk.gv.at/themen/landwirtschaft/versorgungssicherheit/lebensmittelversorgungssicherheit-im-blackout-fall.html (accessed 2026-10-20)