Hungary

• temperate;
• cold, cloudy, humid winters;
• warm summers

• 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

noun:

Hungarian(s)

adjective:

Hungarian

total:

45.1 years (2025 est.)

male:

42.8 years

female:

46.7 years

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.1 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.69 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

4.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

5 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

4.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

76 years (2024 est.)

male:

72.9 years

female:

79.3 years

total:

10.79 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

3.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

3.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

3.5 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

28.5% (2025 est.)

male:

33.7% (2025 est.)

female:

23.8% (2025 est.)

• temperate;
• cold, cloudy, humid winters;
• warm summers

urban population:

72.9% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

municipal solid waste generated annually:

3.781 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

31% (2022 est.)

municipal:

660 million cubic meters (2022)

industrial:

3.758 billion cubic meters (2022)

agricultural:

548.613 million cubic meters (2022)

total global geoparks and regional networks:

4 (2024)

global geoparks and regional networks:

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

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Hungary

local long form:

none

local short form:

Magyarorszag

former:

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

etymology:

the Byzantine Greeks referred to the tribes that arrived on the steppes of Eastern Europe in the 9th century as the "Oungroi," a name that later became "Hungari," which originally meant an "[alliance of] ten tribes;" the Hungarian name Magyarorszag means "Country of the Magyars," which may be derived from the name of the most prominent of the Hungarian tribes

name:

Budapest

geographic coordinates:

47 30 N, 19 05 E

time difference:

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

daylight saving time:

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

etymology:

• Buda on the western shore of the Danube and Pest on the eastern shore merged in 1873 to form Budapest;
• Buda's name may derive from the name of its founder or from a local word meaning "water;" Pest derives from a Slavic word meaning "furnace" or "oven"

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

amendment process:

• 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

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

chief of state:

President Tamas SULYOK (since 5 March 2024)

head of government:

Prime Minister Viktor ORBAN (since 29 May 2010)

cabinet:

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

election/appointment process:

• 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);
• prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president

most recent election date:

president: 26 February 2024

prime minister:

3 April 2022

election results:

2024: Tamas SULYOK elected president; National Assembly vote - 134 to 5; 2022: Katalin NOVAK (Fidesz) elected president; National Assembly vote - 137 to 51

expected date of next election:

president: spring 2029

prime minister:

April or May 2027

legislature name:

National Assembly (Országgyülés)

legislative structure:

unicameral

chamber name:

National Assembly (Orszaggyules)

number of seats:

199 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

mixed system

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

4/3/2022

parties elected and seats per party:

• Hungarian Civic Union-Christian Democratic People's Party (FIDESZ-KDNP) (135);
• Democratic Coalition (DK) (15);
• Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik) (10);
• Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) (10);
• Momentum (10);
• Other (19)

percentage of women in chamber:

15.6%

expected date of next election:

April 2026

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 on 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

• Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP
• Democratic Coalition or DK
• Dialogue for Hungary or Párbeszéd
• Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz
• Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP
• Jobbik - Conservatives or Jobbik
• LMP-Hungary's Green Party or LMP
• Mi Hazank (Our Homeland Movement) or MHM
• Momentum Movement or Momentum
• Movement for a Better Hungary or Jobbik
• National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary or MNOÖ
• On the People's Side or A Nép Pártján
• Our Homeland Movement or Mi Hazánk
• TISZA – Respect and Freedom Party or TISZA

chief of mission:

Ambassador Szabolcs Ferenc TAKÁCS (since 23 December 2020)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 362-6730

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-8135

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://washington.mfa.gov.hu/eng

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

consulate(s):

Houston, Miami

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Caroline SAVAGE (since November 2025)

embassy:

Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest

mailing address:

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

telephone:

[36] (1) 475-4400

FAX:

[36] (1) 475-4248

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://hu.usembassy.gov/

• 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)

description:

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green

meaning:

• folklore attributes virtues to the colors: red for strength, white for faithfulness, and green for hope;
• alternatively, the red can stand for the blood spilled in defense of the land, white for freedom, and green for pasturelands

history:

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 of the French flag

title:

"Himnusz" (Hymn)

lyrics/music:

Ferenc KOLCSEY/Ferenc ERKEL

history:

adopted 1844

total World Heritage Sites:

8 (7 cultural, 1 natural)

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)

• 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

agriculture:

2.4% (2024 est.)

industry:

23.9% (2024 est.)

services:

59.7% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

14.1% (2024 est.)

male:

14.8% (2024 est.)

female:

13.1% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

16.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.8% (2022 est.)

highest 10%:

24.4% (2022 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Number of operational nuclear reactors:

4 (2025)

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors:

1.92GW (2025 est.)

Percent of total electricity production:

48.8% (2023 est.)

production:

4.293 million metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

4.694 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

115,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

452,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

2.633 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

36,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

179,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

12.1 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

1.612 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

8.293 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports:

8.216 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

3.738 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

• mixed system of state-supported media and private broadcasters;
• the 5 publicly owned TV channels and the 2 main privately owned TV stations are the major national broadcasters;
• large number of special-interest channels;
• highly developed market for satellite and cable TV with about two-thirds of viewers utilizing the services;
• 4 state-supported radio networks;
• large number of local stations, including commercial, public service, nonprofit, and community radio stations;
• digital transition completed in 2013 (2019)

total:

1 (2023)

by type:

other 1

• the HDF has a mix of Soviet-era and more modern, NATO-compatible arms from such countries as Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Türkiye, and the US;
• in 2017, Budapest launched a modernization program aimed at replacing its Soviet-era weaponry with modern systems;
• Hungary has also placed emphasis on building up its defense industrial capacity (2025)

• 250 Bosnia-Herzegovina (EUFOR stabilization force);
• 200 Chad;
• 470 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

refugees:

72,359 (2024 est.)

stateless persons:

101 (2024 est.)