Hungary

Location

• Central Europe, northwest of Romania
• 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

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Budapest	1,741,041	Capital
Debrecen	202,402
Szeged	160,766
Miskolc	154,521
Pécs	145,347
Budapest XI. kerület	139,049
Zugló	130,000
Győr	129,301
Budapest III. kerület	123,723
Nyíregyháza	117,689

Size

• 35,919 square miles
• 93,030 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Virginia; about the same size as Indiana

History

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.

Climate

temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers

Terrain

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

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)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note: percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents were able to identify more than one spoken language

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.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1949 (heavily amended in 1989 following the collapse of communism); latest approved 18 April 2011, signed 25 April 2011, effective 1 January 2012amendment 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
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age, 16 if married and marriage is registered in Hungary; universal
• Legal System: civil system influenced by the German model
• Executive Branch: 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 presidentelection/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 presidentmost recent election date: president: 26 February 2024prime minister: 3 April 2022election results: 2024: Tamas SULYOK elected president; National Assembly vote - 134 to 52022: Katalin NOVAK (Fidesz) elected president; National Assembly vote - 137 to 51expected date of next election: president: spring 2029prime minister: April or May 2027
• 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 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 62subordinate courts: 5 regional courts of appeal; 19 regional or county courts (including Budapest Metropolitan Court); 20 administrative-labor courts; 111 district or local courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: National Assembly (Országgyülés)legislative structure: unicameralchamber name: National Assembly (Orszaggyules)number of seats: 199 (all directly elected)electoral system: mixed systemscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 4/3/2022parties 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: 15.2%expected date of next election: April 2026

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• 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
• Budget: revenues: $69.793 billion (2022 est.)expenditures: $80.429 billion (2022 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
• Industries: mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
• Agricultural Products: maize, wheat, barley, milk, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples, pork, grapes (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 55.6% (2022 est.)arable land: 45.6% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 1.6% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 8.5% (2022 est.)forest: 22.5% (2022 est.)other: 21.9% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: vehicle parts/accessories, natural gas, integrated circuits, broadcasting equipment, industrial acids/oils/alcohols (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Germany 23%, China 7%, Austria 6%, Poland 6%, S. Korea 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: cars, vehicle parts/accessories, electric batteries, packaged medicine, computers (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Germany 25%, Italy 6%, Romania 6%, USA 5%, Slovakia 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports