With the collapse of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), which fell below the 4% electoral threshold and lost all its seats, two new parties entered the National Council: Team Stronach with 5.7% and NEOS with 5.0%.

The elections saw considerable change in the composition of the National Council; the ruling grand coalition won its lowest combined share of the popular vote in history.

The coalition was nonetheless renewed, and Werner Faymann of the SPÖ remained Chancellor.

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) made significant gains in the previous election, but while the FPÖ gained support after the 2008 election, the BZÖ shrank after the death of its founder Jörg Haider and taking a turn toward liberalism.

The ten candidates with the most preferential votes on a federal level were as follows:[4] The "grand coalition" of SPÖ and ÖVP retained their majority.