Hungary Travel Podcast with Bence Kovács

Location

Central Europe, northwest of Romania

Terrain

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

Climate

Temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Elevation

Highest point

Kekes 1,014 m

Lowest point

Tisza River 78 m

Mean elevation

143 m

Area

Total

93,028 sq km

Land

89,608 sq km

Water

3,420 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Virginia; about the same size as Indiana

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total

2,106 km

Border countries

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

Agricultural land

55.7% (2023 est.)

Arable land

45.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

1.6% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

8.6% (2023 est.)

Forest

22.7% (2023 est.)

Other

20.9% (2023 est.)

Note

Landlocked; strategic location on main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula, as well as between Ukraine and the Mediterranean basin; the Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions

Population

Total

9,855,745 (2024 est.)

Male

4,812,668

Female

5,043,077

Nationality

Noun

Hungarian(s)

Adjective

Hungarian

Ethnic groups

Hungarian 84.3%, Romani 2.1%, German 1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 13.7% (2022 est.)

Languages

Languages

Hungarian (official) 98.8%, English 25.3%, German 12.6%, Russian 2.1%, French 1.5%, Romanian 1.4%, other 5.1% (2022 est.)

Major-language sample(s)

A World Factbook nélkülözhetetlen forrása az alapvető információnak. (Hungarian)

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.)

Median age

Total

45.1 years (2025 est.)

Male

42.8 years

Female

46.7 years

Life expectancy

Total population

76 years (2024 est.)

Male

72.9 years

Female

79.3 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

72.9% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

1.778 million BUDAPEST (capital) (2023)

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 Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule after World War II. In 1956, Moscow responded to a Hungarian revolt and announcement of its withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact with a massive military intervention. 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.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Budapest

Time zone

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

Local name

None

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)

National day

Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August (1083)

Overview

High-income EU and OECD economy; modest recovery from 2024 recession driven by private consumption and moderated inflation; challenges include high fiscal deficits, frozen access to EU funds, and risks from export reliance; implementing tax exemptions, price controls, and mortgage interest caps ahead of 2026 elections

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$40,700 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$40,400 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$40,700 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

17.1% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

14.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

4.5% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.2% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.7% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Forints (HUF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

365.691 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

353.088 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

372.596 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

303.141 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

307.997 (2020 est.)

Main industries

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

Agriculture

Maize, wheat, barley, milk, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples, pork, grapes (2023)

Airports

109 (2025)

Railways

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

Internet domain

.hu

Internet users

Percent of population 92% (2024 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

10.2 million (2023 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

104 (2022 est.)

Environmental issues

Air and soil pollution; water pollution from industry and large-scale agriculture

Fresh water

104 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

Total global geoparks and regional networks

4 (2024)

Global geoparks and regional networks

Bakony-Balaton; Bukk Region; Hungary; Novohrad-Nógrád (includes Slovakia) (2024)