2023 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

1,010 sq km (2019)

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)

Duna (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

14.24% (male 709,089/female 668,143)

15-64 years

63.97% (male 3,091,384/female 3,094,515)

65 years and over

21.79% (2023 est.) (male 812,063/female 1,294,815)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

3.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

10.79 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

9.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

7.3% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

51.4% (2023 est.)

Death rate

15 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

31.4

potential support ratio

3.2 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

53.8

youth dependency ratio

22.4

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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

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

Gross reproduction rate

0.78 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

7 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

4.5 deaths/1,000 live births

male

5.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

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

78.7 years

male

72.1 years

total population

75.3 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

99.1% (2021)

male

99.1%

total population

99.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Major urban areas - population

1.778 million BUDAPEST (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

46.4 years

male

42.6 years

total

44.5 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

28.4 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Hungarian

noun

Hungarian(s)

Net migration rate

2.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

26.4% (2016)

Physicians density

6.06 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

9,670,009 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.33% (2023 est.)

Religions

Catholic 30.1% (Roman Catholic 27.5%, Greek Catholic 1.7%, other Catholic 0.9%), Calvinist 9.8%, Lutheran 1.8%, other Christian (includes Orthodox) 1.6%, other 0.4%, none 16.1%, no answer 40.1% (2022 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 (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

15 years (2020)

male

15 years

total

15 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.63 male(s)/female

at birth

1.06 male(s)/female

total population

0.95 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

27.8% (2020 est.)

male

35.8% (2020 est.)

total

31.8% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.59 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

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 David PRESSMAN (since 14 September 2022)

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

1500 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Szabolcs Ferenc TAKACS (since 23 December 2020)

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

info.was@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 Katalin NOVAK (since 10 May 2022)

election results

2022: Katalin NOVAK (Fidesz) elected president; National Assembly vote - 137 to 512017: Janos ADER (Fidesz) reelected president; National Assembly vote - 131 to 39

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 11 March 2022 (next to be held spring 2027); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held on 3 April 2022 (next to be held April or May 2027)

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, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

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, using the D’Hondt method; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party list - Fidesz-KDNP 54.1%, United for Hungary 34.5%, Mi Hazank 5.9%, other 5.5%; seats by party list - Fidesz-KDNP 135, United for Hungary 57, Mi Hazank 6, independent 1; composition as of June 2023 - men 171, women 28, percent of women 14.1%

elections

last held on 3 April 2022 (next to be held in April 2026)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL

name

"Himnusz" (Hymn)

note

note: adopted 1844

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, and Andrássy Avenue (c); Old Village of Hollókő and its Surroundings (c); Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst (n); Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment (c); Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta (c); Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae) (c); Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape (c); Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape (c)

total World Heritage Sites

8 (7 cultural, 1 natural)

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 [Bence TORDAI, Rebeka SZABO]Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN]Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP [Bertalan TOTH, Agnes KUNHALMI]LMP-Hungary's Green Party [Peter UNGAR, Erzsebet SCHMUCK]Mi Hazank (Our Homeland Movement) or MHM [Laszlo TOROCZKAI]Momentum Movement (Momentum Mozgalom) [Ferenc GELENCSER]Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik [Marton GYONGYOSI]National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary or LdU [Ibolya HOCK-ENGLENDER]United for Hungary (a coalition of Jobbik, MSZP, Dialogue, DK, LMP, and Momentum)

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 beets, apples, pork, grapes

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

7.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

18.2% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$74.127 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$70.83 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BBB (2019)

Moody's rating

Baa3 (2016)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BBB (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$1.231 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$1.603 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$7.173 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$125.29 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$123.256 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

high-income EU and OECD economy; decreasing government spending; increasing judicial independence concerns; flat income taxation; increasingly dependent on energy imports; strong tourism and automotive manufacturing

Exchange rates

Currency

forints (HUF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

274.433 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

270.212 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

290.66 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

307.997 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

303.141 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$133.736 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$124.111 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$148.229 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, electric batteries, video displays, packaged medicines, spark-ignition engines, broadcasting equipment (2021)

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 2019

30 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

22.4% (2015)

lowest 10%

3.3%

Imports

Imports 2019

$129.901 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$121.016 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$147.577 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

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

6.64% (2021 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

3.34% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

3.33% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

5.11% (2021 est.)

Labor force

4.91 million (2021 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 2018

86.55% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

83.29% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

96.11% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$319.019 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$304.513 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$326.186 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

4.86% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-4.55% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

7.12% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$32,600 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$31,200 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$33,600 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$31.831 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$41.349 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$43.483 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

22.87% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

3.42% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

4.25% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

4.12% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

16.2%

male

11.5%

total

13.5% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

7.501 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

19.52 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

21.568 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

48.589 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

8.079 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

230,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1.395 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

6.956 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2.909 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

41.533 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

7.498 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

19.176 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

10.873 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.139 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

7.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

36.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

46% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

7.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

108.212 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

10.545 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

3.758 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

11.678 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

1.685 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves

3.738 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.92GW (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

4 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

46.8% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

44% (2021)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

8,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

134,800 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

12.1 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

180,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

35,200 bbl/day (2021 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

34.83 (2021 est.)

total

3,382,136 (2021 est.)

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 (2019)

Internet country code

.hu

Internet users

percent of population

89% (2021 est.)

total

8.633 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line connections, with 30 fixed per 100 persons and 106 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 (2021)

general assessment

Hungary benefits from having a developed telecom infrastructure, with a focus among operators to develop the 5G sector and upgrade fixed networks to provide a 1Gb/s service; services based on 5G have been supported by the January 2021 multi-spectrum auction for spectrum in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands; the number of fixed-lines continues to fall as subscribers migrate to the mobile platform for voice and data services; operators have looked to bundled packages to boost revenue and retain subscribers; the broadband market has effective infrastructure-based competition, with an extensive cable network competing against DSL services and a vibrant and rapidly expanding fiber sector; the regulator has also introduced a number of measures aimed at promoting market competition, which is pushing the drive for higher speed platforms and encouraging operators to invest in technology upgrades; as a result, Hungary now has the highest fixed broadband penetration rate in Eastern Europe; the number of super fast broadband connections (above 30Mb/s) accounted for 78% of all fixed broadband connections (2022)

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

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

30 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

2,955,979 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

106 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

10,248,653 (2021 est.)

Airports

41 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

4

military airports

3

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

13

total

20

Airports - with unpaved runways

21

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

HA

Heliports

3 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

other 1

total

1 (2022)

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

5,874 km gas (high-pressure transmission system), 83,732 km gas (low-pressure distribution network), 850 km oil, 1,200 km refined products (2018)

Ports and terminals

river port(s)

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

Railways

total

7,687 km (2020) 3,111 km electrified

Roadways

paved

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

total

203,601 km (2014)

unpaved

126,514 km (2014)

Waterways

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

Military - note

the Hungarian Defense Forces (HDF) are a professional military responsible for ensuring the defense of the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and citizens, and fulfilling Hungary’s commitments to the EU and NATO, as well as contributing to other international peacekeeping efforts under the UN; the HDF is also responsible for some aspects of domestic security, crisis management, and disaster response, and since 2015, under a declared state of emergency prompted by mass migration, it may assist law enforcement forces in border protection and handling mass migration situations; Hungary’s most recent national security strategy addressed migration as an important security concern, alongside other issues, such as great power competition and cyber security; modernizing the HDF by replacing Soviet-era equipment with Western systems and building up Hungary’s defense industrial capacity has been a priority over the past decadeHungary has been a member of NATO since 1999 and considers the collective defense ensured within the Alliance as a cornerstone of the country’s security; NATO membership is complemented by Hungary’s ties to the EU under the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy; the HDF has participated in multiple NATO-led security missions, including in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kosovo, as well as EU-led missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mali; it hosts a NATO battlegroup comprised of troops from Croatia, Hungary, Italy, and the US, and NATO’s Multinational Division Center, a headquarters capable of commanding a division-sized force (typically 15-20,000 troops) in a crisis; both organizations were established as a result of Russian aggression against Ukraine; Hungary also hosts NATO’s Center of Excellence for Military Medicine; Hungary is a member of the Visegrad Group, a regional platform that brings together Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia to discuss cultural, defense, and political cooperationthe HDF is organized as a joint force under a general staff with commands for land, air, cyber, special operations, territorial defense, and support forces; the combat units of the HDF’s Land Command have recently been reorganized and currently consists of three combined arms brigades, plus a reconnaissance regiment; one of the brigades has a joint Hungarian-Romanian peacekeeping battalion; the Special Operations Command includes a special purpose brigade; the Air Command’s combat forces are a squadron of Swedish-made fighter aircraft, an attack helicopter battalion, and an air defense missile regiment; the Territorial Defense Forces Command has volunteer operational reservists to backfill regular units on occasion and non-deployable volunteer territorial reservists that are organized into local defense units (typically battalions) spread throughout the country (2023)

Military and security forces

Hungarian Defense Forces (HDF or Magyar Honvédség): the HDF is organized as a joint force under a general staff with commands for land, air, cyber, special operations, territorial defense, and support forces (2023)

note

note: the National Police are under the Ministry of Interior and responsible for maintaining order nationwide; the Ministry of Interior also has the Counterterrorism Center, a special police force responsible for protecting the president and the prime minister and for preventing, uncovering, and detecting terrorist acts

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 25,000 active-duty troops (20,000 Army; 5,000 Air Force) (2023)

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

150 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force); 150 Iraq (NATO); 430 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists largely of Soviet-era weapons, with a smaller mix of more modern European and US equipment; in recent years, Germany has been the top supplier of military hardware to Hungary (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.8% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.7% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (abolished 2005); 6-month service obligation (2023)

note

note: as of 2021, women comprised over 20% of Hungary's full-time military personnel

Disputes - international

Hungary and Slovakia have a long-running dispute over the implementation of a 1970s Soviet-era hydropower project on the Danube, the Gabčíkovo-Nagymaros project 

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

refugees (country of origin)

61,445 (Ukraine) (as of 4 December 2023)

stateless persons

130 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Hungarian Space Office (HSO; established 1992) (2023)

Space program overview

has a history of involvement in space activities going back to the Soviet era; growing a modern space program focused on acquiring satellites and contributing to the European Space Agency (ESA); has a national space strategy; builds and operates satellites; researches and develops space technologies, including communications, navigation, and subsystems for satellites; has an astronaut corps; in addition to being an ESA member and cooperating with individual ESA and EU member states, particularly France, has relations with a variety of other foreign space agencies and industries, including those of Brazil, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, the UAE, and the US; national space strategy included the goals of fostering innovation and increasing Hungary’s competitiveness in the commercial space sector (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

45.54 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

7.25 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

14.24 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 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 lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Balaton - 590 sq km

Major rivers (by length in km)

Duna (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

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

104 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

550 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

3.45 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

660 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

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.)