2021 Edition

Background

Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later.

Area

land

89,608 sq km

total

93,028 sq km

water

3,420 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Virginia; about the same size as Indiana

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Kekes 1,014 m

lowest point

Tisza River 78 m

mean elevation

143 m

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 20 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Irrigated land

1,721 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

Austria 321 km, Croatia 348 km, Romania 424 km, Serbia 164 km, Slovakia 627 km, Slovenia 94 km, Ukraine 128 km

total

2,106 km

Land use

agricultural land

58.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 48.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.)

forest

22.5% (2018 est.)

other

18.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Balaton - 590 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border

Age structure

0-14 years

14.54% (male 731,542/female 689,739)

15-24 years

10.43% (male 526,933/female 492,388)

25-54 years

42.17% (male 2,075,763/female 2,044,664)

55-64 years

12.17% (male 552,876/female 636,107)

65 years and over

20.69% (male 773,157/female 1,248,658) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

8.72 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current Health Expenditure

6.7% (2018)

Death rate

12.88 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.8

potential support ratio

3.2 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

46.9

youth dependency ratio

22

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.6% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

Hungarian 85.6%, Romani 3.2%, German 1.9%, other 2.6%, unspecified 14.1% (2011 est.)

note

note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one ethnic group; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 5–10% of Hungary's population

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

3,700 (2018 est.)

Hospital bed density

7 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

5.02 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.69 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

Hungarian (official) 99.6%, English 16%, German 11.2%, Russian 1.6%, Romanian 1.3%, French 1.2%, other 4.2%; note - shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census; Hungarian is the mother tongue of 98.9% of Hungarian speakers (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s)

A World Factbook nélkülözhetetlen forrása az alapvető információnak.  (Hungarian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.83 years (2021 est.)

male

73.27 years

total population

76.95 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99% (2015)

male

99.1%

total population

99.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Major urban areas - population

1.772 million BUDAPEST (capital) (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

45.5 years (2020 est.)

male

41.5 years

total

43.6 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.3 years (2019 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Hungarian

noun

Hungarian(s)

Net migration rate

1.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.4% (2016)

Physicians density

3.41 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

9,728,337 (July 2021 est.)

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

-0.29% (2021 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 37.2%, Calvinist 11.6%, Lutheran 2.2%, Greek Catholic 1.8%, other 1.9%, none 18.2%, no response 27.2% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2019)

male

12 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.07 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.62 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.91 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

14% (2020 est.)

male

11.9%

total

12.8%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.2% of total population (2021)

Administrative divisions

19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 cities with county rights (megyei jogu varosok, singular - megyei jogu varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros) counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad-Csanad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala cities with county rights: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg capital city: Budapest

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology

the Hungarian capital city was formed in 1873 from the merger of three cities on opposite banks of the Danube: Buda and Obuda (Old Buda) on the western shore and Pest on the eastern; the origins of the original names are obscure, but according to the second century A.D. geographer, Ptolemy, the settlement that would become Pest was called "Pession" in ancient times; "Buda" may derive from either a Slavic or Turkic personal name

geographic coordinates

47 30 N, 19 05 E

name

Budapest

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Hungary

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

8 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by parliamentary committee, or by Parliament members; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament members and approval by the president; amended several times, last in 2018

history

previous 1949 (heavily amended in 1989 following the collapse of communism); latest approved 18 April 2011, signed 25 April 2011, effective 1 January 2012

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Hungary

etymology

the Byzantine Greeks refered to the tribes that arrived on the steppes of Eastern Europe in the 9th century as the "Oungroi," a name that was later Latinized to "Ungri" and which became "Hungari"; the name originally meant an "[alliance of] ten tribes"; the Hungarian name "Magyarorszag" means "Country of the Magyars"; the term may derive from the most prominent of the Hungarian tribes, the Megyer

former

Kingdom of Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic, Hungarian Soviet Republic, Hungarian Republic

local long form

none

local short form

Magyarorszag

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Marc DILLARD (since 30 October 2020)

email address and website

acs.budapest@state.govhttps://hu.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest

FAX

[36] (1) 475-4248

mailing address

5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270

telephone

[36] (1) 475-4400

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Szabolcs Ferenc TAKACS (since 23 December 2020)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

info@mfa.gov.huhttps://washington.mfa.gov.hu/eng

FAX

[1] (202) 966-8135

telephone

[1] (202) 362-6730

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed by the president

chief of state

President Janos ADER (since 10 May 2012)

election results

Janos ADER (Fidesz) reelected president; National Assembly vote - 131 to 39; Viktor ORBAN (Fidesz) reelected prime minister; National Assembly vote - 134 to 28

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly with two-thirds majority vote in first round or simple majority vote in second round for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 March 2017 (next to be held spring 2022); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held on 10 May 2018 (next to be held in April or May 2022)

head of government

Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green; the flag dates to the national movement of the 18th and 19th centuries, and fuses the medieval colors of the Hungarian coat of arms with the revolutionary tricolor form of the French flag; folklore attributes virtues to the colors: red for strength, white for faithfulness, and green for hope; alternatively, the red is seen as being for the blood spilled in defense of the land, white for freedom, and green for the pasturelands that make up so much of the country

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: 25 December 1000 (crowning of King STEPHEN I, traditional founding date); 30 March 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICC jurisdiction

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest courts

Curia or Supreme Judicial Court (consists of the president, vice president, department heads, and has a maximum of 113 judges, and is organized into civil, criminal, and administrative-labor departments; Constitutional Court (consists of 15 judges, including the court president and vice president)

judge selection and term of office

Curia president elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president of the republic; other Curia judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the National Judicial Council, a separate 15-member administrative body; judge tenure based on interim evaluations until normal retirement at age 62; Constitutional Court judges, including the president of the court, elected by the National Assembly; court vice president elected by the court itself; members serve 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 62

subordinate courts

5 regional courts of appeal; 19 regional or county courts (including Budapest Metropolitan Court); 20 administrative-labor courts; 111 district or local courts

Legal system

civil legal system influenced by the German model

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (199 seats; 106 members directly elected in single-member constituencies by simple majority vote and 93 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party list - Fidesz-KDNP 49.3%, Jobbik 19.1%, MSZP-PM 11.9%, LMP 7.1%, DK 5.4%, Momentum Movement 3.1%, Together 0.7%, LdU 0.5%, other 2.9%; seats by party - Fidesz 117, Jobbik 26, KDNP 16, MSZP 15,  DK 9, LMP 8, PM 5, Together 1, LdU 1, independent 1; composition (as of October 2021) - men 173, women 26, percent of women 13.1%

elections

last held on 8 April 2018 (next to be held in April 2022)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL

name

"Himnusz" (Hymn)

note

note: adopted 1844

National holiday

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August (1083); note - commemorates his canonization and the transfer of his remains to Buda (now Budapest) in 1083

National symbol(s)

Holy Crown of Hungary (Crown of Saint Stephen); national colors: red, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]Democratic Coalition or DK [Ferenc GYURCSANY]Dialogue for Hungary (Parbeszed) or PM [Gergely KARACSONY, Timea SZABO]Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN]Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP [Bertalan TOTH]Momentum Movement (Momentum Mozgalom) [Andras FEKETE-GYOR]Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik [Tamas SNEIDER]National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary or LdU [Olivia SCHUBERT]Politics Can Be Different or LMP [Marta DEMETER, Laszlo LORANT-KERESZTES]Together (Egyutt)

Suffrage

18 years of age, 16 if married and marriage is registered in Hungary; universal

Agricultural products

maize, wheat, milk, sunflower seed, barley, rapeseed, sugar beet, apples, pork, grapes

Budget

expenditures

64.7 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

61.98 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

note

note: Hungary has been under the EU Excessive Deficit Procedure since it joined the EU in 2004; in March 2012, the EU elevated its Excessive Deficit Procedure against Hungary and proposed freezing 30% of the country's Cohesion Funds because 2011 deficit reductions were not achieved in a sustainable manner; in June 2012, the EU lifted the freeze, recognizing that steps had been taken to reduce the deficit; the Hungarian deficit increased above 3% both in 2013 and in 2014 due to sluggish growth and the government's fiscal tightening

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BBB (2019)

Moody's rating

Baa3 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating

BBB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2018

$510 million (2018 est.)

Current account balance 2019

-$392 million (2019 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$125.29 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$123.256 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Hungary has transitioned from a centrally planned to a market-driven economy with a per capita income approximately two thirds of the EU-28 average; however, in recent years the government has become more involved in managing the economy. Budapest has implemented unorthodox economic policies to boost household consumption and has relied on EU-funded development projects to generate growth.   Following the fall of communism in 1990, Hungary experienced a drop-off in exports and financial assistance from the former Soviet Union. Hungary embarked on a series of economic reforms, including privatization of state-owned enterprises and reduction of social spending programs, to shift from a centrally planned to a market-driven economy, and to reorient its economy towards trade with the West. These efforts helped to spur growth, attract investment, and reduce Hungary’s debt burden and fiscal deficits. Despite these reforms, living conditions for the average Hungarian initially deteriorated as inflation increased and unemployment reached double digits. Conditions slowly improved over the 1990s as the reforms came to fruition and export growth accelerated. Economic policies instituted during that decade helped position Hungary to join the European Union in 2004. Hungary has not yet joined the euro-zone. Hungary suffered a historic economic contraction as a result of the global economic slowdown in 2008-09 as export demand and domestic consumption dropped, prompting it to take an IMF-EU financial assistance package.   Since 2010, the government has backpedaled on many economic reforms and taken a more populist approach towards economic management. The government has favored national industries and government-linked businesses through legislation, regulation, and public procurements. In 2011 and 2014, Hungary nationalized private pension funds, which squeezed financial service providers out of the system, but also helped Hungary curb its public debt and lower its budget deficit to below 3% of GDP, as subsequent pension contributions have been channeled into the state-managed pension fund. Hungary’s public debt (at 74.5% of GDP) is still high compared to EU peers in Central Europe. Real GDP growth has been robust in the past few years due to increased EU funding, higher EU demand for Hungarian exports, and a rebound in domestic household consumption. To further boost household consumption ahead of the 2018 election, the government embarked on a six-year phased increase to minimum wages and public sector salaries, decreased taxes on foodstuffs and services, cut the personal income tax from 16% to 15%, and implemented a uniform 9% business tax for small and medium-sized enterprises and large companies. Real GDP growth slowed in 2016 due to a cyclical decrease in EU funding, but increased to 3.8% in 2017 as the government pre-financed EU funded projects ahead of the 2018 election.   Systemic economic challenges include pervasive corruption, labor shortages driven by demographic declines and migration, widespread poverty in rural areas, vulnerabilities to changes in demand for exports, and a heavy reliance on Russian energy imports.

Exchange rates

currency

forints (HUF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

232.6 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

279.33 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

283.5923 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

299.4939 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

295.3276 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$134.66 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$134.55 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$123.83 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, packaged medicines, spark-ignition engines, video displays, broadcasting equipment (2019)

Exports - partners

Germany 27%, Romania 5%, Italy 5%, Slovakia 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

90.2% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20% (2017 est.)

household consumption

49.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-82.4% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

21.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

3.9% (2017 est.)

industry

31.3% (2017 est.)

services

64.8% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$163.251 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

28.6 (2014)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2017

30.6 (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22.4% (2015)

lowest 10%

3.3%

Imports

Imports 2018

$127.52 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$129.9 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

$120.25 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2020 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, integrated circuits, packaged medicines, broadcasting equipment, crude petroleum (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 25%, China 6%, Poland 6%, Austria 6%, Czechia 5%, Slovakia 5%, Italy 5%, Netherlands 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

7.4% (2017 est.)

Industries

mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

2.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

2.8% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.3% (2019 est.)

Labor force

4.414 million (2020 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

4.9%

industry

30.3%

services

64.5% (2015 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

note

note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits, securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives, and national, state, and local government and social security funds.

Public debt 2016

76% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

73.6% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$303.98 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$318.09 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$302.32 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2017

4.45% (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2018

5.44% (2018 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4.58% (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$31,100 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$32,600 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$31,000 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$25.82 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$28 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

44.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2018

3.71% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate 2019

3.45% (2019 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

14% (2020 est.)

male

11.9%

total

12.8%

Crude oil - exports

2,713 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

121,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - production

16,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

24 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

39.37 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

5.24 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

64% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

22% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

13% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

17.95 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

8.639 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

30.22 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Natural gas - consumption

10.39 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

3.52 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

13.37 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.812 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

6.598 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

167,700 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

58,720 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

82,110 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

152,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33.8 (2020 est.)

total

3,265,308 (2020)

Broadcast media

mixed system of state-supported public service broadcast media and private broadcasters; the 5 publicly owned TV channels and the 2 main privately owned TV stations are the major national broadcasters; a large number of special interest channels; highly developed market for satellite and cable TV services with about two-thirds of viewers utilizing their services; 4 state-supported public-service radio networks; a large number of local stations including commercial, public service, nonprofit, and community radio stations; digital transition completed at the end of 2013; government-linked businesses have greatly consolidated ownership in broadcast and print media

Internet country code

.hu

Internet users

percent of population

84.77% (2020 est.)

total

8.01 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile-cellular phones, and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections, 31 per 100 persons, while mobile-cellular is 106 per 100 (2019)

general assessment

Hungary benefits from a well-developed telecom infrastructure, with adoption of 5G and upgrade of fixed networks to 1Gb/s service; fixed-line subscribership fell as subscribers migrated to mobile for voice and data; effective infrastructure-based competition, with an extensive cable network competing against DSL and expanding fiber sector; high mobile penetration and highest fixed broadband penetration rate in Eastern Europe; government supports private partnership in smart agriculture applications; as part of EU, fully liberalized and open to investment; broadcasting equipment is one of the country’s top five imports, plus mobile phones, from China (2020)

international

country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 (very small aperture terminal) VSAT system of ground terminals

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30.75 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

2,970,347 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

107 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

10,332,660 (2020)

Airports

total

41 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

2,438 to 3,047 m

6

914 to 1,523 m

5

over 3,047 m

2

total

20

under 914 m

1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

2

914 to 1,523 m

8

total

21

under 914 m

11 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HA

Heliports

3 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

other 1 (2021)

total

1

National air transport system

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

31,226,848 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

145

number of registered air carriers

5 (2020)

Pipelines

5874 km gas (high-pressure transmission system), 83732 km gas (low-pressure distribution network), 850 km oil, 1200 km refined products (2016)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

Baja, Csepel (Budapest), Dunaujvaros, Gyor-Gonyu, Mohacs (Danube)

Railways

broad gauge

36 km 1.524-m gauge (2014)

narrow gauge

219 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)

standard gauge

7,794 km 1.435-m gauge (2,889 km electrified) (2014)

total

8,049 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

77,087 km (includes 1,582 km of expressways) (2014)

total

203,601 km (2014)

unpaved

126,514 km (2014)

Waterways

1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2011)

Military - note

Hungary joined NATO in 1999; Czechia, Hungary, and Poland were invited to begin accession talks at NATO's Madrid Summit in 1997 and in March 1999 they became the first former members of the Warsaw Pact to join the Alliance

Military and security forces

the Hungarian Defense Forces are a unified force (Joint Force Command) with Land Forces, Air Forces, and Logistics components (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Hungarian Defense Forces have approximately 23,000 active duty troops (18,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2021)

note

note - in 2017, Hungary announced plans to increase the number of active soldiers to around 37,000, but did not give a timeline

Military deployments

160 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 150 Iraq (counter-ISIS coalition); 430 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the Hungarian Defense Forces consists largely of Soviet-era weapons, with a smaller mix of more modern European and US equipment; since 2010, Hungary has received limited quantities of equipment from several European countries and the US (2021)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

1% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

1.19% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.01% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.25% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.85% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 2005); 6-month service obligation (2021)

Disputes - international

bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continue in 2006 with Slovakia over Hungary's failure to complete its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary has implemented the strict Schengen border rules

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking are improving but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 432,744 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-December 2018); Hungary is predominantly a transit country and hosts 137 migrants and asylum seekers as of the end of June 2018; 1,626 migrant arrivals in 2017

refugees (country of origin)

5,950 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015)

stateless persons

145 (2020)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

45.54 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.25 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

15.62 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Environment - current issues

air and water pollution are some of Hungary's most serious environmental problems; water quality in the Hungarian part of the Danube has improved but is still plagued by pollutants from industry and large-scale agriculture; soil pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Antarctic-Environmental Protection

Land use

agricultural land

58.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 48.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 8.4% (2018 est.)

forest

22.5% (2018 est.)

other

18.6% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Major lakes (area sq km)

Fresh water lake(s)

Lake Balaton - 590 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Danube (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

104 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

518.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

3.358 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

624.5 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.05% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.2% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3.712 million tons (2015 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

962,893 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

25.9% (2015 est.)