Hungary

Hungaryis alandlocked countryinCentral Europe.Spanning much of theCarpathian Basin, it is bordered bySlovakiato the north,Ukraineto the northeast,Romaniato the east and southeast,Serbiato the south,CroatiaandSloveniato the southwest, andAustriato the west. Hungary lies within thedrainage basinof theDanube Riverand is dominated by great lowlandplains. It has a population of 9.6 million, consisting mostly of ethnicHungariansand a significantRomani minority.Hungarianis theofficial language, and amongthe few in Europeoutside theIndo-European family.Budapestis the country's capital andlargest city, and the dominant cultural and economic centre.
Prior to the foundation of the Hungarian state, various peoples settled in the territory of present-day Hungary, including theCelts,Romans,Huns,Germanic peoples,AvarsandSlavs. Hungarian statehood is traced to thePrincipality of Hungary, which was established in the late ninth century byÁlmosand his sonÁrpádthrough theconquest of the Carpathian Basin.KingStephen Iascended the throne in 1000 and converted his realm to aChristian kingdom. The medievalKingdom of Hungarywas a European power, reachingits height in the Late Middle Ages.
After a long period ofOttoman wars, Hungary’s forces were defeated at theBattle of Mohácsin 1526 and its capitalBudawascapturedin 1541, opening a period of more than 150 years where the country was divided into three parts:Royal Hungary(loyal to theHabsburgs),Ottoman Hungaryand the largely independentPrincipality of Transylvania. The Ottomans recognized the loss of Ottoman Hungary by theTreaty of Karlowitzin 1699. Most of Hungary was reunited and came under Habsburg rule by the turn of the 18th century.
Wars of independence against the Habsburgs in1703–1711and1848–1849resulted in acompromisethat established theAustro-Hungarian Monarchyin 1867, amajor powerin the early 20th century.Austria-Hungary collapsed afterWorld War I, and the subsequentTreaty of Trianonin 1920 established Hungary's current borders, resulting in the loss of 71% of its historical territory, majority of itseconomy, 58% of its population, and32% of its ethnic Hungarians.
Reeling from the aftermath of the war, Hungary endured turmoil in the earlyinterwar period, culminating in thenationalist conservativeregime ofde factorulerMiklós Horthy. Hungary joined theAxis powersinWorld War II, suffering significant damage and casualties.It was occupied by theSoviet Union, which established theHungarian People's Republicas asatellite state. Following the failed1956 revolution, Hungary becamecomparatively freerbut remained a repressed member of theEastern Bloc. As part of theRevolutions of 1989, Hungary peacefully transitioned into ademocraticparliamentary republic.It joined theEuropean Unionin 2004 and theSchengen Areasince 2007.
Hungary is ahigh-income economywithuniversal health careand tuition-freesecondary education.Hungary has a long history of significant contributions toarts,music,literature,sports,science and technology.It is apopulartourist destinationin Europe, drawing 24.5 million international visitors in 2019.Hungary is a member of numerous international organisations, including theCouncil of Europe,European Union,NATO,United Nations,World Health Organization,World Trade Organization,World Bank,Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and theVisegrád Group.
The "H" in the name of Hungary is most likely derived from historical associations with theHuns, who had settled Hungary prior to theAvars.The rest of the word comes from the Latinised form ofByzantine GreekOungroi(Οὔγγροι). The Greek name might be borrowed fromOld Slavonicągrinŭ, in turn borrowed fromOghur-TurkicOnogur('ten [tribes of the] Ogurs').Onogurwas the collective name for the tribes who later joined theBulgartribal confederacy that ruled the eastern parts of Hungary after the Avars.Peter B. Goldenalso considers the suggestion of Árpád Berta that the name derives fromKhazar Turkicongar(oŋ "right", oŋar- "to make something better, to put (it) right", oŋgar-  "to make something better, to put (it) right", oŋaru "towards the right") "right wing". This points to the idea that the Magyar Union before the Conquest formed the "right wing" (= western wing) of theKhazarmilitary forces.
The HungarianendonymisMagyarország, composed ofmagyar('Hungarian') andország('country'). The name "Magyar", which refers to the people of the country, more accurately reflects the name of the country in some other languages such asTurkish,Persianand other languages asMagyaristanorLand of Magyarsor similar. The wordmagyaris taken from the name of the leading tribe name of the seven major semi-nomadic Hungarian tribes.
TheRoman Empireconquered the territory between theAlpsand the area west of theDanubeRiver from 16 to 15 BC, the Danube being the frontier of the empire.In 14 BC,Pannonia, the western part of theCarpathian Basin, which includes the west of today’s Hungary, was recognised by emperorAugustusin theRes Gestae Divi Augustias part of the Roman Empire.The area south-east ofPannoniawas organised as the Roman provinceMoesiain 6 BC.An area east of the riverTiszabecame the Roman province ofDaciain 106 AD, which included today's east Hungary. It remained under Roman rule until 271.
From 235, the Roman Empire went through troubled times, caused by revolts, rivalry and rapid succession of emperors. The Western Roman Empire collapsed in the 5th century under the stress of the migration ofGermanic tribesandCarpianpressure.This period brought many invaders into Central Europe, beginning with theHunnic Empire(c.370–469). The most powerful ruler of the Hunnic Empire wasAttilathe Hun (434–453), who later became a central figure in Hungarian mythology.After the disintegration of the Hunnic Empire, theGepids, an Eastern Germanic tribe, who had been vassalised by the Huns, established their own kingdom in the Carpathian Basin.Other groups which reached the Carpathian Basin during the Migration Period were theGoths,Vandals,Lombards, andSlavs.
In the 560s, theAvarsfounded the Avar Khaganate, a state that maintained supremacy in the region for more than two centuries. TheFranksunderCharlemagnedefeated the Avars in a series of campaigns during the 790s.Between 804 and 829, theFirst Bulgarian Empireconquered the lands east of the Danube and took over the rule of the local Slavic tribes and remnants of the Avars.By the mid-9th century, theBalaton Principality, also known as Lower Pannonia, was established west of the Danube as part of the FrankishMarch of Pannonia.
Foundation of theHungarian stateis connected to theHungarian conquerors, who arrived from thePontic-Caspian steppeas a confederation ofseven tribes.TheHungariansarrived in theCarpathian Basinas a frame of a strong centralized steppe-empire under the leadership of Grand PrinceÁlmosand his sonÁrpád: founders of theÁrpád dynasty, the Hungarian ruling dynasty and the Hungarian state. TheÁrpád dynastyclaimed to be a direct descendant ofAttila the Hun.The Hungarians took possession of the area in a pre-planned manner, with a long move-in between 862 and 895.The rising Hungary conducted successfulfierce campaigns and raids, fromConstantinopleto as far as today's Spain.The Hungarians defeatedthree major East Frankish imperial armiesbetween 907 and 910.A defeat at theBattle of Lechfeldin 955 signaled a provisory end to most campaigns on foreign territories, at least towards the west.
In 972, the ruling prince (Hungarian:fejedelem)Gézaof theÁrpád dynastyofficially started to integrate Hungary into Christian Western Europe.His sonSaint Stephen Ibecame the firstKing of Hungaryafter defeating hispaganuncleKoppány. Under Stephen, Hungary was recognised as a CatholicApostolic Kingdom.Applying toPope Sylvester II, Stephen received the insignia of royalty (including probably a part of theHoly Crown of Hungary) from the papacy.
By 1006, Stephen consolidated his power and started sweeping reforms to convert Hungary into a Western-stylefeudal state. The country switched to using Latin for administration purposes, and until as late as 1844, Latin remained the official language of administration. KingSaint Ladislauscompleted the work of KingSaint Stephen, consolidating the Hungarian state's power and strengtheningChristianity. His charismatic personality, strategic leadership and military talents resulted in the termination of internal power struggles and foreign military threats.The wife of the Croatian kingDemetrius Zvonimirwas Ladislaus's sister.AtHelen'srequest, Ladislaus intervened in the conflict and invaded Croatia in 1091.TheKingdom of Croatiaentered apersonal unionwith theKingdom of Hungaryin 1102 with the coronation of KingColomanas "King of Croatia and Dalmatia" in 1102 inBiograd.
One of the  most powerful and wealthiest king of the Árpád dynasty wasBéla III,who disposed of the equivalent of 23 tonnes of silver per year, according to a contemporaryincome register. This exceeded the income of the French king (estimated at 17 tonnes) and was double the receipts of the English Crown.Andrew IIissued theDiploma Andreanumwhich secured the special privileges of theTransylvanian Saxonsand is considered the firstautonomylaw in the world.He led theFifth Crusadeto theHoly Landin 1217, setting up the largest royal army in the history of Crusades. HisGolden Bull of 1222was the first constitution inContinental Europe. The lesser nobles also began to present Andrew with grievances, a practice that evolved into the institution of the parliament (parlamentum publicum).
In 1241–1242, the kingdom received a major blow with theMongol (Tatar) invasion. Up to half of Hungary's population of 2 million were victims of the invasion.KingBéla IVletCumansandJassic peopleinto the country, who were fleeing the Mongols.Over the centuries, they were fully assimilated.After the Mongols retreated, King Béla ordered the construction of hundreds of stone castles and fortifications, to defend against a possible second Mongol invasion. TheMongols returned to Hungaryin 1285, but the newly built stone-castle systems and new tactics (using a higher proportion of heavily armed knights) stopped them. The invading Mongol force was defeatednear Pest by the royal army of KingLadislaus IV. As with later invasions, it was repelled handily, the Mongols losing much of their invading force.
TheKingdom of Hungaryreached one of its greatest extents during the Árpádian kings, yet royal power was weakened at the end of their rule in 1301. After a destructive period ofinterregnum(1301–1308), the firstAngevinking,Charles I of Hungary– a bilineal descendant of theÁrpád dynasty– successfully restored royal power and defeated oligarch rivals, the so-called "little kings". The second Angevin Hungarian king,Louis the Great(1342–1382), led many successful military campaigns from Lithuania to southern Italy (Kingdom of Naples) and was alsoKing of Polandfrom 1370. After King Louis died without a male heir, the country was stabilised only whenSigismund of Luxembourg(1387–1437) succeeded to the throne, who in 1433 also becameHoly Roman Emperor.
The first HungarianBible translationwas completed in 1439. For half a year in 1437, there was an antifeudal and anticlericalpeasant revolt in Transylvaniawhich was strongly influenced byHussiteideas. From a small noble family in Transylvania,John Hunyadigrew to become one of the country's most powerful lords, thanks to his capabilities as a mercenary commander. He was elected governor, then regent. He was a successful crusader against theOttoman Turks, one of his greatest victories being thesiege of Belgradein 1456.
The last strong king of medieval Hungary was theRenaissancekingMatthias Corvinus(1458–1490), son of John Hunyadi. His election was the first time that a member of the nobility mounted to the Hungarian royal throne without dynastic background. He was a successful military leader and an enlightened patron of the arts and learning.His library, theBibliotheca Corviniana, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles, philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to theVatican Library. Items from the Bibliotheca Corviniana were inscribed onUNESCO'sMemory of the World Registerin 2005.The serfs and common people considered him a just ruler because he protected them from excessive demands and other abuses by the magnates.Under his rule, in 1479, the Hungarian army destroyed the Ottoman and Wallachian troops at theBattle of Breadfield. Abroad he defeated the Polish and German imperial armies of Frederick at Breslau (Wrocław). Matthias' mercenary standing army, theBlack Army of Hungary, was an unusually large army for its time, and it conqueredViennaas well as parts of Austria andBohemia.
King Matthias died without lawful sons, and the Hungarian magnates procured the accession of the PoleVladislaus II(1490–1516), supposedly because of his weak influence on Hungarian aristocracy.Hungary's international role declined, its political stability was shaken, and social progress was deadlocked.In 1514, the weakened old King Vladislaus II faced a major peasant rebellion led byGyörgy Dózsa, which was ruthlessly crushed by thenobles, led byJohn Zápolya. The resulting degradation of order paved the way for Ottoman preeminence. In 1521, the strongest Hungarian fortress in the South, Nándorfehérvár (today'sBelgrade, Serbia),fell to the Turks. The early appearance of Protestantism further worsened internal relations in the country.
After some150 years of warswith the Hungarians and other states, the Ottomans gained a decisive victory over the Hungarian army at theBattle of Mohácsin 1526, where KingLouis IIdied while fleeing. Amid political chaos, the divided Hungarian nobility elected two kings simultaneously,John ZápolyaandFerdinand Iof theHabsburg dynasty. With the conquest ofBudaby the Turks in 1541, Hungary was divided into three parts and remained so until the end of the 17th century. The north-western part, termed asRoyal Hungary, was annexed by the Habsburgs who ruled as kings of Hungary. The eastern part of the kingdom became independent as thePrincipality of Transylvania, under Ottoman (and later Habsburg)suzerainty. The remaining central area, including the capital Buda, was known as the Pashalik of Buda.
In 1686, theHoly League'sarmy, containing over 74,000 men from various nations,reconquered Budafrom the Turks. After some more crushingdefeats of the Ottomansin the next few years, the entire Kingdom of Hungary was removed from Ottoman rule by 1718. The last raid into Hungary by the Ottoman vassalsTatarsfromCrimeatook place in 1717.The constrained Habsburg Counter-Reformation efforts in the 17th century reconverted the majority of the kingdom to Catholicism. The ethnic composition of Hungary was fundamentally changed as a consequence of the prolonged warfare with the Turks. A large part of the country became devastated, population growth was stunted, and many smaller settlements perished.The Austrian-Habsburg government settled large groups ofSerbsand other Slavs in the depopulated south, and settledGermans(calledDanube Swabians) in various areas, but Hungarians were not allowed to settle or re-settle in the south of the Carpathian Basin.
Between 1703 and 1711, there was a large-scalewar of independenceled byFrancis II Rákóczi, who after the dethronement of the Habsburgs in 1707 at the Diet ofÓnod, took power provisionally as the ruling prince for the wartime period, but refused the Hungarian crown and the title "king". The uprisings lasted for years. The HungarianKurucarmy, although taking over most of the country, lost the mainbattle at Trencsén(1708). Three years later, because of the growing desertion, defeatism, and low morale, the Kuruc forces surrendered.
During theNapoleonic Warsand afterward, the Hungarian Diet had not convened for decades.In the 1820s, the emperor was forced to convene the Diet, which marked the beginning of a Reform Period (1825–1848,Hungarian:reformkor). The Hungarian Parliament was reconvened in 1825 to handle financial needs. A liberal party emerged and focused on providing for the peasantry.Lajos Kossuthemerged as a leader of the lowergentryin the Parliament. A remarkable upswing started as the nation concentrated its forces on modernisation even though the Habsburg monarchs obstructed all important liberal laws relating tocivil and political rightsand economic reforms. Many reformers (Lajos Kossuth,Mihály Táncsics) were imprisoned by the authorities.
On 15 March 1848, mass demonstrations in Pest and Buda enabled Hungarian reformists to push through a list of12 demands. Under Governor and PresidentLajos Kossuthand Prime MinisterLajos Batthyány, the House of Habsburg was dethroned. The Habsburg ruler and his advisors skillfully manipulated the Croatian, Serbian and Romanian peasantry, led by priests and officers firmly loyal to the Habsburgs, into rebelling against the Hungarian government, though the Hungarians were supported by the vast majority of the Slovak, German andRusynnationalities and by all the Jews of the kingdom, as well as by a large number of Polish, Austrian and Italian volunteers.In July 1849 the Hungarian Parliament proclaimed and enacted the first laws of ethnic andminority rightsin the world.Many members of the nationalities gained the coveted highest positions within the Hungarian Army, likeJános DamjanichandJózef Bem. The Hungarian forces (Honvédség) defeated Austrian armies. To counter the successes of the Hungarian revolutionary army, Habsburg EmperorFranz Joseph Iasked for help from the "Gendarme of Europe", TsarNicholas I, whose Russian armies invaded Hungary. This madeArtúr Görgeysurrender in August 1849. The leader of the Austrian army,Julius Jacob von Haynau, became governor of Hungary for a few months and ordered the execution ofthe 13 Martyrs of Arad, leaders of the Hungarian army, and Prime Minister Batthyány in October 1849. Kossuth escaped into exile. Following the war of 1848–1849, the whole country was in "passive resistance".
Because of external and internal problems, reforms seemed inevitable, and major military defeats of Austria forced the Habsburgs to negotiate theAustro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, by which the dual monarchy ofAustria-Hungarywas formed. This empire had the second largest area in Europe (after theRussian Empire), and it was the third most populous (after Russia and theGerman Empire). The two realms were governed separately by two parliaments from two capital cities, with a common monarch and common external and military policies. Economically, the empire was a customs union. The old Hungarian Constitution was restored, and Franz Joseph I was crowned asKing of Hungary. The era witnessed impressive economic development. The formerly backward Hungarian economy became relatively modern and industrialised by the turn of the 20th century, although agriculture remained dominant until 1890. In 1873, the old capital Buda andÓbudawere officially united withPest,creating the new metropolis of Budapest. Many of the state institutions and the modern administrative system of Hungary were established during this period.
After theassassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinandin Sarajevo, Prime MinisterIstván Tiszaand his cabinet tried to avoid the outbreak and escalating of a war in Europe, but their diplomatic efforts were unsuccessful. Austria-Hungary drafted over 4 million soldiers from the Kingdom of Hungary on the side of Germany, Bulgaria, and Turkey. The troops raised in the Kingdom of Hungary spent little time defending the actual territory of Hungary, with the exceptions of theBrusilov offensivein June 1916 and a few months later when the Romanian army made an attack into Transylvania,both of which were repelled. TheCentral Powersconquered Serbia. Romania declared war. The Central Powers conquered southern Romania and the Romanian capitalBucharest. In 1916 Franz Joseph died, and the new monarchCharles IVsympathised with the pacifists. With great difficulty, the Central Powers stopped and repelled the attacks of the Russian Empire.
TheEastern Frontof the Allied (Entente) Powers completely collapsed. The Austro-Hungarian Empire then withdrew from all defeated countries. Despite great success on the Eastern Front, Germany suffered complete defeat on theWestern Front. By 1918, the economic situation had deteriorated (strikes in factories were organised by leftist and pacifist movements) and uprisings in the army had become common. In the capital cities, the Austrian and Hungarian leftist liberal movements and their leaders supported the separatism of ethnic minorities. Austria-Hungary signed a general armistice inPaduaon 3 November 1918.In October 1918, Hungary's union with Austria was dissolved.
Following the First World War, Hungary underwent a period of profound political upheaval, beginning with theAster Revolutionin 1918, which brought the social-democraticMihály Károlyito power as prime minister. TheHungarian Royal Honvéd armystill had more than 1,400,000 soldierswhen Károlyi was installed. Károlyi yielded to U.S. PresidentWoodrow Wilson's demand forpacifismby ordering the disarmament of the Hungarian army.Disarmament meant that Hungary was to remain without a national defence at a time of particular vulnerability. During the rule of Károlyi's pacifist cabinet, Hungary lost control over approximately 75% of its pre-war territories (325,411 square kilometres (125,642 sq mi)) without a fight and was subject to foreign occupation. TheLittle Entente, sensing an opportunity, invaded the country from three sides—Romania invaded Transylvania, Czechoslovakia annexedUpper Hungary(today's Slovakia), and a jointSerb-Frenchcoalition annexedVojvodinaand other southern regions. In March 1919, communists led byBéla Kunousted the Károlyi government and proclaimed theHungarian Soviet Republic(Tanácsköztársaság), followed by a thoroughRed Terrorcampaign. Despite some successes on the Czechoslovak front, Kun's forces were ultimately unable to resist the Romanian invasion; by August 1919, Romanian troops occupied Budapest and ousted Kun.
In November 1919, rightist forces led by former Austro-Hungarian admiralMiklós Horthyentered Budapest; exhausted by the war and its aftermath, the populace accepted Horthy's leadership. In January 1920, parliamentary elections were held, and Horthy was proclaimed regent of the reestablishedKingdom of Hungary, inaugurating the so-called "Horthy era" (Horthy-kor). The new government worked quickly to normalise foreign relations while turning a blind eye to aWhite Terrorthat swept through the countryside; extrajudicial killings of suspected communists and Jews lasted well into 1920. On 4 June 1920, theTreaty of Trianonestablished new borders for Hungary. The country lost 71% of its territory and 66% of its pre-war population, as well as many sources of raw materials and its sole port atFiume.Though the revision of the treaty quickly rose to the top of the national political agenda, the Horthy government was not willing to resort to military intervention to do so.
The initial years of the Horthy regime were preoccupied with putsch attempts byCharles IV, the Austro-Hungarianpretender; continued suppression of communists; and a migration crisis triggered by the Trianon territorial changes. The government's actions continued to drift right with the passage ofantisemiticlaws and, because of the continued isolation of the Little Entente, economic and then political gravitation towardsItalyandGermany. TheGreat Depressionfurther exacerbated the situation, and the popularity of fascist politicians increased, such asGyula GömbösandFerenc Szálasi, promising economic and social recovery. Horthy's nationalist agenda reached its apogee in 1938 and 1940, when the Nazis rewarded Hungary's staunchly pro-Germany foreign policy in theFirstandSecond Vienna Awards, peacefully restoring ethnic-Hungarian-majority areas lost after Trianon. In 1939, Hungary regained further territory from Czechoslovakiathrough force. Hungaryformally joinedtheAxis powerson 20 November 1940 and in 1941 participated in theinvasion of Yugoslavia, gaining some of its former territories in the south.
Hungary formally entered World War II as an Axis power on 26 June 1941, declaring war on the Soviet Union after unidentified planes bombedKassa,Munkács, andRahó. Hungarian troops fought on theEastern Frontfor two years. Despite early success at theBattle of Uman,the government began seeking a secret peace pact withthe Alliesafter theSecond Armysuffered catastrophic lossesat the River Donin January 1943. Learning of the planned defection, German troopsoccupied Hungaryon 19 March 1944 to guarantee Horthy's compliance.
In October, as the Soviet front approached, and the government made further efforts to disengage from the war, German troops ousted Horthy and installed a puppet government under Szálasi's fascistArrow Cross Party.Szálasi pledged all the country's capabilities in service of the German war machine. By October 1944, the Soviets had reached the river Tisza, and despitesome losses, succeeded in encircling andbesieging Budapestin December.
On 13 February 1945, Budapest surrendered; by April, German troops left the country under Soviet military occupation. 200,000 Hungarians were expelled from Czechoslovakia in exchange for 70,000 Slovaks living in Hungary. 202,000 ethnic Germans were expelled to Germany,and through the 1947Paris Peace Treaties, Hungary was again reduced to its immediate post-Trianon borders.
The war left Hungary devastated, destroying over 60% of the economy and causing significantloss of life. In addition to the over 600,000 Hungarian Jews killed,as many as 280,000other Hungarians were raped, murdered and executed or deported for slave labour.After German occupation, Hungary participated inthe Holocaust,deporting nearly 440,000 Jews, mainly toAuschwitz; nearly all of them were murdered.The Horthy government's complicity in the Holocaust remains a point of controversy and contention.
Following the defeat of Nazi Germany, Hungary became asatellite stateof the Soviet Union. The Soviet leadership selectedMátyás Rákosito front theStalinisationof the country, and Rákoside factoruled Hungary from 1949 to 1956. His government's policies of militarisation, industrialisation, collectivisation, and war compensation led to a severe decline in living standards. In imitation of Stalin'sKGB, the Rákosi government established a secret political police, theÁVH, to enforce the regime; approximately 350,000 officials and intellectuals were imprisoned or executed from 1948 to 1956.Many freethinkers, democrats, and Horthy-era dignitaries were secretly arrested and extrajudicially interned in domestic and foreigngulags. Some 600,000 Hungarians were deported to Soviet labour camps, where at least 200,000 died.
After Stalin's death in 1953, the Soviet Union pursued a programme ofde-Stalinisationthat was inimical to Rákosi, leading to his deposition. The following political cooling saw the ascent ofImre Nagyto the premiership. Nagy promised market liberalisation and political openness. Rákosi eventually managed to discredit Nagy and replace him with the more hard-lineErnő Gerő. Hungary joined theWarsaw Pactin May 1955, as societal dissatisfaction with the regime swelled. Following the firing on peaceful demonstrations by Soviet soldiers and secret police, and rallies throughout the country on 23 October 1956, protesters took to the streets in Budapest, initiating the1956 Revolution.
In an effort to quell the chaos, Nagy returned as premier, promised free elections, and took Hungary out of the Warsaw Pact. The violence nonetheless continued as revolutionary militias sprung up against the Soviet Army and the ÁVH; the roughly 3,000-strong resistance fought Soviet tanks usingMolotov cocktailsand machine-pistols. Though the preponderance of the Soviets was immense, they suffered heavy losses, and by 30 October 1956, most Soviet troops had withdrawn from Budapest to garrison the countryside. For a time, the Soviet leadership was unsure how to respond but eventually decided to intervene to prevent a destabilisation of the Soviet bloc. On 4 November, reinforcements of more than 150,000 troops and 2,500 tanks entered the country from the Soviet Union.Nearly 20,000 Hungarians were killed resisting the intervention, while an additional 21,600 were imprisoned afterward for political reasons. Some 13,000 were interned and 230 brought to trial and executed. Nagy was secretly tried, found guilty, sentenced to death, and executed by hanging in June 1958. Because borders were briefly opened, nearly a quarter of a million people fled the country by the time the revolution was suppressed.
After a second, briefer period of Soviet military occupation,János Kádár, Nagy's former minister of state, was chosen by the Soviet leadership to head the new government and chair the new rulingSocialist Workers' Party. Kádár quickly normalised the situation. In 1963, the government granted a general amnesty. Kádár proclaimed a new policy line, according to which the people were no longer compelled to profess loyalty to the party if they tacitly accepted the socialist regime as a fact of life. Kádár introduced new planning priorities in the economy, such as allowing farmers significant plots of private land within the collective farm system (háztáji gazdálkodás). The living standard rose as consumer goods and food production took precedence over military production, which was reduced to one-tenth of prerevolutionary levels.
In 1968, theNew Economic Mechanismintroduced free-market elements into the socialist command economy. From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Hungary was often referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the Eastern bloc. During the latter part of the Cold War Hungary'sGDP per capitawas fourth only toEast Germany,Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union.As a result of this relatively highstandard of living, a more liberalised economy, a less censored press, and less restricted travel rights, Hungary was generally considered one of the more liberal countries in which to live in Central Europe during communism. In 1980, Hungary sent aCosmonautinto space as part of theInterkosmos. The first Hungarian astronaut wasBertalan Farkas. Hungary becamethe seventh nation to be represented in spaceby him.In the 1980s, however, living standards steeply declined again because ofa worldwide recessionto which communism was unable to respond.By the time Kádár died in 1989, the Soviet Union was in steep decline and a younger generation of reformists saw liberalisation as the solution to economic and social issues.
Hungary's transition from communism to capitalism (rendszerváltás, "regime change") was peaceful and prompted by economic stagnation, domestic political pressure, and changing relations with other Warsaw Pact countries. Although theHungarian Socialist Workers' PartybeganRound Table Talkswith various opposition groups in March 1989, the reburial of Imre Nagy as a revolutionary martyr that June is widely considered the symbolic end of communism in Hungary. Free elections were heldin May 1990, and theHungarian Democratic Forum, a major conservative opposition group, was elected to the head of a coalition government.József Antallbecame the first democratically elected prime minister since World War II.
With the removal of state subsidies and rapid privatisation in 1991, Hungary was affected by a severe economic recession. The Antall government's austerity measures proved unpopular, and the Communist Party's legal and political heir, theSocialist Party, won the subsequent1994 elections. This abrupt shift in the political landscape was repeated in1998and2002; in each electoral cycle, the governing party was ousted and the erstwhile opposition elected. Like most other post-communist European states, however, Hungary broadly pursued anintegrationistagenda,joining NATOin 1999 and the European Unionin 2004. As a NATO member, Hungary was involved in theYugoslav Wars.
In 2006,major nationwide protestserupted after it was revealed that Prime MinisterFerenc Gyurcsányhad claimed ina closed-door speechthat his party "lied" to win therecent elections. The popularity of left-wing parties plummeted in the ensuing political upheaval, and in 2010,Viktor Orbán's national-conservativeFideszparty waselectedto a parliamentarysupermajority. The legislature consequently approved anew constitution, among other sweeping governmental and legal changes including the establishment of new parliamentary constituencies, decreasing the number of parliamentarians, and shifting to single-round parliamentary elections. Fidesz has won supermajorities ineverysubsequentelection.
Since 2010, Hungary has accused to undergone ademocratic backslidingand has been variously characterized by its critics as anilliberal democracy,hybrid regime,kleptocracy,dominant-party system, andmafia state.Orbán has publicly embraced illiberalism,characterizing Hungary as an "illiberal Christian democracy".As a result of these developments, Hungary's relationship with theUnited Statesand theEuropean Unionhave entered a period of protracted strain. Past and ongoing areas of conflict includeLGBT rights, which the Orbán government has restricted;migration, especially in the context of the2015 migrant crisis, when the Hungarian government unilaterally built border barriers on theCroatianandSerbian bordersand criticized EU migration policy;thelex CEU, which madeCentral European University's US-accredited part continued operation in Budapest impossible;Hungary's decision to also authorize the use ofRussianandChinese vaccinesduring thecoronavirus pandemicdue to EU’s slow rollout of Western jabs;andWestern sanctions against Russiain retaliation for Russia's2022 invasion of Ukraine, which Hungary has continuously opposed expanding.In this same period, the Orbán government has come under increased international scrutiny over rule-of-law concerns, and in 2018, theEuropean Parliamentvoted to act against Hungary under the terms ofArticle 7 of the Treaty on European Union. Hungary has and continues to dispute these allegations.
Hungary is alandlocked country. Its geography has traditionally been defined by its two main waterways, theDanubeandTiszarivers. The common tripartite division—Dunántúl("beyond the Danube",Transdanubia),Tiszántúl("beyond the Tisza"), andDuna–Tisza köze("between the Danube and Tisza")—is a reflection of this. The Danube flows north–south through the centre of contemporary Hungary, and the entire country lies within itsdrainage basin.
Transdanubia, which stretches westward from the centre of the country towards Austria, is a primarily hilly region with a terrain varied by low mountains. These include the very eastern stretch of theAlps,Alpokalja, in the west of the country, theTransdanubian Mountainsin the central region of Transdanubia, and theMecsekMountains andVillány Mountainsin the south. The highest point of the area is the Írott-kő in the Alps, at 882 metres (2,894 ft). TheLittle Hungarian Plain(Kisalföld) is found in northern Transdanubia.Lake BalatonandLake Hévíz, the largest lake in Central Europe and the largest thermal lake in the world, respectively, are in Transdanubia as well.
TheDuna–Tisza közeandTiszántúlare characterised mainly by theGreat Hungarian Plain(Alföld), which stretches across most of the eastern and southeastern areas of the country. To the north of the plain are the foothills of theCarpathiansin a wide band near theSlovakianborder. TheKékesat 1,014 m (3,327 ft) is the tallest mountain in Hungary and is found there.
Phytogeographically, Hungary belongs to the Central European province of theCircumboreal Regionwithin theBoreal Kingdom. According to theWWF, the territory of Hungary belongs to the terrestrial ecoregion ofPannonian mixed forests.
Hungary has atemperate seasonal climate,with generally warm summers with low overall humidity levels but frequent rain showers and cold snowy winters. Average annual temperature is 9.7 °C (49.5 °F). Temperature extremes are 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) on 20 July 2007 atKiskunhalasin the summer and −35 °C (−31.0 °F) on 16 February 1940 atMiskolcin the winter. Average high temperature in the summer is 23 to 28 °C (73 to 82 °F) and average low temperature in the winter is −3 to −7 °C (27 to 19 °F). The average yearly rainfall is approximately 600 mm (23.6 in).
Hungary is aunitary,parliamentary republic. The Hungarian political system operates under a framework reformed in 2012; this constitutional document is theFundamental Law of Hungary. Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of parliament; the fundamental principles of the constitution (as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the state structure, and therule of law) are valid in perpetuity. 199 Members of Parliament (országgyűlési képviselő) are elected to the highest organ of state authority, theunicameralOrszággyűlés(National Assembly), every four years in a single-roundfirst-past-the-postelection with anelection thresholdof 5%.
ThePresident of the Republic(köztársasági elnök) serves as thehead of stateand is elected by the National Assembly every five years. The president is invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers: receiving foreign heads of state, formally nominating the prime minister at the recommendation of the National Assembly, and serving ascommander-in-chiefof thearmed forces.Importantly, the president is also invested withvetopower and may send legislation to the 15-memberConstitutional Courtfor review. The third most significant governmental position in Hungary is theSpeaker of the National Assembly, who is elected by the National Assembly and responsible for overseeing the daily sessions of the body.
Theprime minister(miniszterelnök) is elected by the National Assembly, serving as thehead of governmentand exercisingexecutive power. Traditionally, the prime minister is the leader of the largest party in parliament. The prime minister selectsCabinetministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them, although cabinet nominees must appear before consultative open hearings before one or more parliamentary committees, survive a vote in the National Assembly, and be formally approved by the president. The Cabinet reports to Parliament.
Since the fall of communism, Hungary has amulti-party system. Thelast Hungarian parliamentary electiontook place on 3 April 2022.The result was a victory for Fidesz–KDNP alliance, preserving its two-thirds majority with Orbán remaining prime minister.It was the third election according to the new Constitution of Hungary which went into force on 1 January 2012. Thenew electoral lawalso entered into force that day. The voters elected 199 MPs instead of previous 386 lawmakers.Since 2014, voters ofethnic minorities in Hungaryare able to vote on nationality lists. The minorities can obtain a preferential mandate if they reach the quarter of the ninety-third part of the list votes.Nationalities who did not get a mandate could send a nationality spokesman to theNational Assembly. The current political landscape in Hungary is dominated by the conservative Fidesz, who have a near supermajority, and three medium-sized parties, the left-wingDemocratic Coalition(DK), the far-rightOur Homeland Movementand liberalMomentum.
The judicial system of Hungary is acivil lawsystem, divided between courts with regular civil and criminal jurisdiction, and administrative courts with jurisdiction over litigation between individuals and the public administration. Hungarian law is codified and based onGerman lawand, in a wider sense, civil law orRoman law. The court system for civil and criminal jurisdiction consists of local courts (járásbíróság), regional appellate courts (ítélőtábla), and the supreme court (Kúria). Hungary's highest courts are located in Budapest.
Law enforcement in Hungary is split among the police and the National Tax and Customs Administration. TheHungarian Policeis the main and largest state law enforcement agency in Hungary. It carries nearly all general police duties such as criminal investigation, patrol activity, traffic policing, border control. It is led by the national police commissioner under the control of theMinister of the Interior. The body is divided into county police departments which are also divided into regional and town police departments. The National Police has subordinate agencies with nationwide jurisdiction, such as the "Nemzeti Nyomozó Iroda" (National Bureau of Investigation), a civilian police force specialised in investigating serious crimes, and thegendarmerie-like, militarised "Készenléti rendőrség" (Stand-by Police) mainly dealing with riots and often reinforcing local police forces. Because of Hungary's accession to theSchengen Treaty, the police and border guards were merged into a single national corps, with the border guards (Határőrség Magyarországon) becoming police officers. This merger took place in January 2008. The Customs and Excise Authority remained subject to theMinistry of Financeunder the National Tax and Customs Administration.
Theforeign policyis based on four basic commitments: toAtlantic co-operation, toEuropean integration, tointernational developmentand tointernational law.Hungary has been a member of theUnited Nationssince December 1955 and a member of theEuropean Union,NATO, theOECD, theVisegrád Group, theWTO, theWorld Bank, theAIIBand theIMF. Hungary took on the presidency of theCouncil of the European Unionfor half a year in 2011 and the next will be in 2024. In 2015, Hungary was the fifth largest OECD non-DAC donor ofdevelopment aidin the world, which represents0.13% of its Gross National Income.
Budapest is home to more than 100 embassies and representative bodies as an international political actor.Hungary hosts the main and regional headquarters of many international organisations as well, includingEuropean Institute of Innovation and Technology,European Police College,United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,International Centre for Democratic Transition,Institute of International Education,International Labour Organization,International Organization for Migration,International Red Cross, Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe,Danube Commissionand others.
Since 1989, the top foreign policy goal has been achieving integration into Western economic and security organisations. Hungary joined thePartnership for Peaceprogramme in 1994 and has actively supported theIFORandSFORmissions in Bosnia. Since 1989 Hungary has improved its often frosty neighbour relations by signing basic treaties with Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine. These renounce all outstanding territorial claims and lay the foundation for constructive relations. However, the issue ofethnic Hungarian minorityrights in Romania, Slovakia, and Serbia periodically cause bilateral tensions to flare up. However, relations with Serbia have more recently become extremely close due to strong Hungarian advocacy for Serbian EU membership, while relations with Slovakia have warmed due to cooperation on shared priorities within EU structures.Since 2017, therelations with Ukrainerapidly deteriorated over the issue of theHungarian minority in Ukraine.Since 1989, Hungary has signed all of theOSCEdocuments, and served as the OSCE's Chairman-in-Office in 1997. Historically, Hungary has had particularly friendlyrelations with Poland; this special relationship was recognised by the parliaments of both countries in 2007 with the joint declaration of 23 March as "The Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship".According to the 2024Global Peace Index, Hungary is the 14th most peaceful country in the world.
The president holds the title of commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces. TheMinistry of Defencejointly withchief of staffadministers the armed forces, including theHungarian Ground Force(HDF) and theHungarian Air Force. Since 2007, the Hungarian Armed Forces has been under a unified command structure. The Ministry of Defence maintains political and civil control over the army. A subordinate Joint Forces Command coordinates and commands the HDF. In 2016, the armed forces had 31,080 personnel on active duty, the operative reserve brought the total number of troops to fifty thousand. In 2016, it was planned that military spending the following year would be $1.21 billion, about 0.94% of the country's GDP, well below the NATO target of 2%. In 2012, the government adopted a resolution in which it pledged to increase defence spending to 1.4% of GDP by 2022.
Military serviceis voluntary, thoughconscriptionmay occur in wartime. In a significant move for modernisation, Hungary decided in 2001 to buy 14JAS 39 Gripenfighter aircraft for about 800 million EUR. Hungarian National Cyber Security Centre was re-organised in 2016 in order to become more efficient throughcyber security.In 2016, the Hungarian military had about 700 troops stationed in foreign countries as part of international peacekeeping forces, including 100 HDF troops in the NATO-ledISAFforce in Afghanistan, 210 Hungarian soldiers in Kosovo under command ofKFOR, and 160 troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hungary sent a 300-strong logistics unit to Iraq in order to help the U.S. occupation with armed transport convoys, though public opinion opposed the country's participation in the war.
Hungary is divided into 19counties(vármegye). Thecapital(főváros)Budapestis an independent entity. The counties and the capital are the 20NUTSthird-level units of Hungary. The states are further subdivided into 174districts(járás).The districts are further divided intotowns and villages, of which 25 are designatedtowns with county rights(megyei jogú város), sometimes known as "urban counties" in English. The local authorities of these towns have extended powers, but these towns belong to the territory of the respective district instead of being independent territorial units. County and district councils and municipalities have different roles and separate responsibilities relating to local government. The role of the counties are basically administrative and focus on strategic development, while preschools, public water utilities, garbage disposal, elderly care, and rescue services are administered by the municipalities.
Since 1996, the counties and city of Budapest have been grouped intoseven regionsfor statistical and development purposes. These seven regions constitute NUTS' second-level units of Hungary. They areCentral Hungary,Central Transdanubia,Northern Great Plain,Northern Hungary,Southern Transdanubia,Southern Great Plain, andWestern Transdanubia.
Hungary has 3,152municipalitiesas of 15 July 2013: 346 towns (Hungarian term:város, plural:városok; the terminology does not distinguish betweencitiesandtowns– the term town is used in official translations) and 2,806 villages (Hungarian:község, plural:községek) which fully cover the territory of the country. The number of towns can change, since villages can be elevated to town status by act of the president. Budapest has a special status and is not included in any county while 23 of the towns are so-called urban counties (megyei jogú város– town with county rights). All county seats except Budapest are urban counties. Four of the cities (Budapest, Miskolc,Győr, andPécs) have agglomerations, and the Hungarian Statistical Office distinguishes seventeen other areas in earlier stages of agglomeration development.The largest city is Budapest. There are more than 100 villages with fewer than 100 inhabitants while the smallest villages have fewer than 20 inhabitants.
Hungary is an OECD high-incomemixed economywith avery high human development indexand skilled labour force with the16th lowest income inequalityin the world.Furthermore, it is the9th most complex economyaccording to the Economic Complexity Index.The economy is the57th-largest in the world(out of 188 countries measured byIMF) with $265.037 billion outputand ranks49th in the world in terms of GDP per capitabypurchasing power parity. Theemployment ratewas 68.3% in 2017;the employment structure shows the characteristics ofpost-industrial economies, 63.2% of employed workforce work in service sector, the industry contributed by 29.7%, while agriculture with 7.1%. Unemployment rate was 4.1% in 2017,down from 11% during thefinancial crisis of 2007–2008.
Hungary is part of theEuropean single marketwhich represents more than 508 million consumers. Several domestic commercial policies are determined by agreements among European Union members and by EU legislation. Hungary is an export-orientedmarket economywith a heavy emphasis on foreign trade, thus the country is the36th largest export economyin the world. The country has more than $100 billion export in 2015 with high, $9.003 billiontrade surplus, of which 79% went to the EU and 21% was extra-EU trade.Hungary has a more than 80%privately ownedeconomy with39.1% overall taxation, which provides the basis for the country'swelfare economy. On the expenditure side, household consumption is the main component ofGDPand accounts for 50% of its total use, followed by gross fixedcapital formationwith 22% and government expenditure with 20%.
Hungary continues to be one of the leading nations for attractingforeign direct investment(FDI) inCentral and Eastern Europe; the inward FDI in the country was $119.8 billion in 2015, while investing more than $50 billion abroad.As of 2015, the key trading partners were Germany, Austria, Romania, Slovakia, France, Italy, Poland and Czech Republic.Major industries include food processing, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, information technology, chemicals, metallurgy, machinery, electrical goods, and tourism (with 12.1 million international tourists in 2014).Hungary is the largest electronics producer in Central and Eastern Europe. Electronics manufacturing and research are among the main drivers of innovation and economic growth in the country. In the past 20 years Hungary has also grown into a major centre formobile technology,information security, and related hardware research.
LargeHungarian companiesare included in theBUX, the stock market index listed onBudapest Stock Exchange. Well-known companies include theFortune Global 500firmMOL Group, theOTP Bank,Gedeon Richter Plc.,Magyar Telekom,CIG Pannonia,FHB Bank,Zwack Unicumand more.Besides this Hungary has a large portion of specialisedsmall and medium enterprise, for example a significant number of automotive suppliers and technologystart upsamong others.
Budapest is the financial and business capital, classified as an Alphaworld cityin the study by theGlobalization and World Cities Research Network.Budapest is theprimate cityof Hungary regarding business and economy, accounting for 39% of the national income, the city has agross metropolitan productmore than $100 billion in 2015, making it one of the largest regional economies in the European Union.Budapest is also among the Top 100 GDP performing cities in the world, measured byPricewaterhouseCoopers.
Hungary maintains its own currency, theHungarian forint(HUF), although the economy fulfills theMaastricht criteriawith the exception of public debt,but it is also significantly below the EU averagewith the level of 75.3% in 2015. TheHungarian National Bankis currently focusing on price stability with an inflation target of 3%.Hungary's corporate tax rate is only 9%, which is relatively low for EU states.
Hungary's achievements in science and technology have been significant, and research and development efforts form an integral part of the country's economy. Hungary spent 1.61% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on civil research and development in 2020, which is the25th highest ratio in the world.Hungary ranks 32nd among the most innovative countries in theBloomberg Innovation Index.Hungary was ranked 36th in theGlobal Innovation Indexin 2024.In 2014, Hungary counted 2,651 full-time equivalent researchers per million inhabitants, steadily increasing from 2,131 in 2010 and compares with 3,984 in the U.S. or 4,380 in Germany.Hungary's high technology industry has benefited from both the country's skilled workforce and the strong presence of foreign high-tech firms and research centres. Hungary also has one of the highest rates of filed patents, the sixth highest ratio of high-tech and medium high-tech output in the total industrial output, the 12th highest research FDI inflow, placed 14th in research talent in business enterprise and has the 17th best overall innovation efficiency ratio in the world.
The key actor of research and development in Hungary is the National Research, Development and Innovation (NRDI) Office, which is a national strategic andfunding agency for scientific research, development and innovation, the primary source of advice on RDI policy for the Hungarian government and the primary RDI funding agency. Its role is to develop RDI policy and ensure that Hungary adequately invest in RDI by funding excellent research and supporting innovation to increase competitiveness and to prepare the RDI strategy of the government, to handle the NRDI Fund and represents the government and RDI community in international organisations.
Scientific research is supported partly by industry and partly by the state, through universities and by scientific state-institutions such asHungarian Academy of Sciences.Hungary has been the home of some of the most prominent researchers in various scientific disciplines, notably physics, mathematics, chemistry and engineering. As of 2018,thirteen Hungarian scientistshave been recipients of aNobel Prize.Until 2012 three individuals—Csoma,János Bolyaiand Tihanyi—were included in the UNESCOMemory of the Worldregister as well as the collective contributionsTabula HungariaeandBibliotheca Corviniana. Contemporary scientists include mathematicianLászló Lovász, physicistAlbert-László Barabási, physicistFerenc Krausz, and biochemistÁrpád Pusztai. Hungary has excellentmathematics educationwhich has trained numerous outstanding scientists. Famous Hungarian mathematicians include fatherFarkas Bolyaiand sonJános Bolyai, who was one of the founders ofnon-Euclidean geometry;Paul Erdős, famed for publishing in over forty languages and whoseErdős numbersare still tracked, andJohn von Neumann, a key contributor in the fields ofquantum mechanicsandgame theory, a pioneer of digital computing, and the chief mathematician in theManhattan Project. Notable Hungarian inventions include thelead dioxidematch(János Irinyi), a type ofcarburetor(Donát Bánki,János Csonka), the electric (AC) train engine and generator (Kálmán Kandó),holography(Dennis Gabor), theKalman filter(Rudolf E. Kálmán), andRubik's Cube(Ernő Rubik).
Hungary has a highly developed road, railway, air, and water transport system. Budapest serves as an important hub for theHungarian railway system(MÁV). The capital is served by three large train stations calledKeleti(Eastern),Nyugati(Western), andDéli(Southern)pályaudvars (termii).Szolnokis the most important railway hub outside Budapest, whileTiszai Railway Stationin Miskolc and the main stations ofSzombathely,Győr,Szeged, andSzékesfehérvárare also key to the network.
From March 2024, transport on the Hungarian railwayMÁVwill be free for people aged 65 and over and under 14 years of age.
Budapest,Debrecen, Miskolc, andSzegedhave tram networks. TheBudapest Metrois the second-oldest undergroundmetrosystem in the world; itsLine 1dates from 1896. The system consists of four lines. Acommuter railsystem,HÉV, operates in the Budapest metropolitan area.
Hungary has a total length of approximately 1,314 km (816.48 mi) motorways (Hungarian:autópálya). Motorway sections are being added to the existing network, which already connects many major economically important cities to the capital. Ports are located at Budapest,DunaújvárosandBaja.
There are five international airports:Budapest Ferenc Liszt(informally called "Ferihegy"),Debrecen,Hévíz–Balaton(also called Sármellék Airport),Győr-Pér, andPécs-Pogány, but only two of these (Budapest and Debrecen) receive scheduled flights. Low-budget airlineWizz Airis based at Ferihegy.
Hungary's total energy supply is dominated byfossil fuels, withnatural gasoccupying the largest share, followed byoilandcoal.In June 2020, Hungary passed a law binding itself to a target ofnet-zero emissionsby 2050. As part of a broader restructuring of the nation's energy and climate policies, Hungary also extended its National Energy Strategy 2030 to look even further, adding an outlook until 2040 that prioritizes carbon-neutral and cost-effective energy while focusing on reinforcingenergy securityandenergy independence.Key forces in the country's 2050 target includerenewables,nuclearelectricity, andelectrificationof end-use sectors. Significant investments in the power sector are expected, including for the construction of two new nuclear energy generating units. Renewable energy capacity has increased significantly, but in recent years growth in the renewables sector has stagnated. What is more, certain policies that limit development ofwind powerare expected to negatively impact the renewables sector.
Hungary's emission of greenhouse gases has dropped alongside the economy's decreasing use of carbon-based fuels. However, independent analysis has identified space for Hungary to set more ambitious emissions reduction targets.
Hungary's population was 9,689,000 in 2021, according to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, making it the fifth most populous country in Central and Eastern Europe, and amedium-sized member state of the European Union. As in other formerEastern bloc countries, its population has decreased markedly since the fall of communism, having peaked at 10.8 million in 1980.Population densitystands at 107 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is about two times higher than theworld average. Around 70% of the population lives in cities and towns overall, which is well above the global rate of 56% butlower than most developed countries; one quarter of Hungarians live in theBudapest metropolitan areain north-central region.
Like most European countries, Hungary is experiencingsub-replacement fertility; its estimatedtotal fertility rateof 1.43 children per woman is well below the replacement rate of 2.1.Consequently, its population has been gradually declining and rapidly aging; the average age is 42.7 years, among the highest in the world.This trend has been exacerbated by a high rate of emigration, particularly among young adults, and anti-immigration policies, which accelerated in the 1990s but have since somewhat abated.
In 2011, the conservative government began a programme to increase the birth rate amongethnic Magyarsby reinstating three-year maternity leave and boosting the availability of part-time jobs; the fertility rate has since gradually increased from its nadir of 1.27 children per woman in 2011,in some years rising as high as 1.5.In 2015, 47.9% of births were to unmarried women.Life expectancywas 71.96 years for men and 79.62 years for women in 2015,growing continuously since the fall of Communism.
Hungary recognises two sizeable minority groups, designated as "national minorities" because their ancestors have lived in their respective regions for centuries in Hungary: aGerman communityof about 130,000 that lives throughout the country, and aRomani minoritythat numbers around 300,000 and mainly resides in the northern part of the country. Some studies indicate a considerably larger number of Romani in Hungary (876,000 people – c. 9% of the population.).According to the 2011 census, there were 8,314,029 (83.7%) ethnicHungarians, 308,957 (3.1%)Romani, 131,951 (1.3%)Germans, 29,647 (0.3%)Slovaks, 26,345 (0.3%)Romanians, and 23,561 (0.2%)Croatsin Hungary; 1,455,883 people (14.7% of the total population) did not declare their ethnicity. Thus, Hungarians made up more than 90% of people who declared their ethnicity.In Hungary, people can declare more than one ethnicity, so the sum of ethnicities is higher than the total population.
Approximately5 million Hungarians live outside Hungary.
Hungarianis theofficialand predominant spoken language. Hungarian is the13th most widely spoken first language in Europewith around 13 million native speakers and it is one of 24 official and working languages of the European Union.Outside Hungary, it is also spoken in neighbouring countries and by Hungarian diaspora communities worldwide. According to the 2011 census, 9,896,333 people (99.6%) speak Hungarian in Hungary, of whom 9,827,875 people (99%) speak it as afirst language, while 68,458 people (0.7%) speak it as asecond language.English (1,589,180 speakers, 16.0%), and German (1,111,997 speakers, 11.2%) are the most widely spoken foreign languages, while there are several recognised minority languages in Hungary (Armenian,Bulgarian,Croatian,German,Greek,Romanian,Romani,Rusyn,Serbian,Slovak,Slovenian, andUkrainian).
Hungarian is a member of theUralic language family, unrelated to any neighbouring language and distantly related toFinnishandEstonian. It is the largest of the Uralic languages in terms of the number of speakers and the only one spoken in Central Europe. Standard Hungarian is based on the variety spoken in Budapest. Although the use of the standard dialect is enforced, Hungarian has several urban and ruraldialects.
Hungary is a historicallyChristiancountry with a deep-rooted Christian heritage.Hungarian historiography identifies the foundation of the Hungarian state with Stephen I'sbaptismand coronation with theHoly Crownin A.D. 1000. Stephen promulgatedCatholicismas thestate religion, and his successors were traditionally known as theApostolic Kings.TheCatholic Church in Hungaryremained strong through the centuries, and theArchbishop of Esztergomwas granted extraordinary temporal privileges asprince-primate(hercegprímás) of Hungary. The transition to statehood occurred at the turn of the 1st to 2nd millennium when the federation of Magyar tribes was transformed into theKingdom of Hungary, andWestern Christianity, specificallyRoman Catholicism, was adopted asstate religion.
Although contemporary Hungary has noofficial religionand recognisesfreedom of religionas a fundamental right, the constitution "recognises Christianity's nation-building role" in its preambleand in Article VII affirms that "the state may cooperate with the churches for community goals."The 2022 census showed that 42.5% of the Hungarians were Christians, most of whom wereRoman Catholics(római katolikusok) (27.5%) andHungarian ReformedCalvinists(reformátusok) (9.8%), alongsideLutherans(evangélikusok) (1.8%),Greek Catholics(1.7%), and other Christians (1.7%).Jewish(0.1%),Buddhist(0.1%) andIslamic(0.1%) communities are small minorities. 40.1% of the population did not declare a religious affiliation, while 16.1% declared themselves explicitly irreligious.
During the initial stages of the ProtestantReformation, most Hungarians adopted first Lutheranism and then Calvinism in the form of the Hungarian Reformed Church. Key figures in the Calvinist movement includedMárton Kálmáncsehi(1500–1550) andPéter Melius Juhász. Melius Juhász played a pivotal role in translating theBibleand other religious texts into Hungarian, and he establishedDebrecenin the Great Plain as the heart of Hungarian Calvinism, earning it the titles "HungarianGeneva" or the second "Calvinist Rome".In the second half of the 16th century, theJesuitsled aCounter-Reformationcampaign, and the population once again became predominantly Catholic. This campaign was only partially successful, however, and the (mainly Reformed) Hungarian nobility were able to secure freedom of worship for Protestants. In practice, this meantcuius regio, eius religio; thus, most individual localities in Hungary are still identifiable as historically Catholic, Lutheran, or Reformed. The country's eastern regions, especially around Debrecen (the "Calvinist Rome"), remain almost completely Reformed,a trait they share with historically contiguous ethnically Hungarian regions across the Romanian border.Orthodox Christianityin Hungary is associated with the country's ethnic minorities: Armenians, Bulgarians, Greeks, Romanians, Rusyns, Ukrainians, and Serbs.
Historically, Hungary was home to asignificant Jewish community, with a pre-World War II population of more than 800,000; however, it is estimated that just over 564,000 Hungarian Jews were killed between 1941 and 1945 during the Holocaust in Hungary.Between 15 May and 9 July 1944 alone, over 434,000 Jews were deported.Of over 800,000 Jews living within Hungary's borders in 1941–1944, about 255,500 are thought to have survived. There are about 120,000 Jews in Hungary today.
Education is predominantly public, run by theMinistry of Education.Preschool-kindergarteneducation iscompulsoryand provided for all children between three and six years old, after which school attendance is also compulsory until the age of sixteen.Primary educationusually lasts for eight years.Secondary educationincludes three traditional types of schools focused on different academic levels: theGymnasiumenrolls the most gifted children and prepares students for university studies; the secondary vocational schools for intermediate students lasts four years and the technical school prepares pupils forvocational educationand work. The system is partly flexible and bridges exist.TheTrends in International Mathematics and Science Studyrated 13–14-year-old pupils in Hungary among the best in the world for maths and science.
Most of the universities arepublic institutions, and students traditionally study without fees. The general requirement for university is theMatura. The Hungarian publichigher educationsystem includes universities and other higher education institutes that provide both education curricula and related degrees up to doctoral degree and also contribute to research activities. Health insurance for students is free until the end of their studies. English and German language are important in Hungarian higher education; there are a number of degree programmes that are taught in these languages, which attracts thousands ofexchange studentsevery year. Hungary's higher education and training has been ranked 44 out of 148 countries in the Global Competitiveness Report 2014.
Hungary has a long tradition of higher education and an establishedknowledge economy. Several universities are among theoldest in continuous operation in the world, including theUniversity of Pécs(founded 1367),Óbuda University(1395), andUniversitas Istropolitana(1465).NagyszombatUniversity was founded in 1635 and moved to Buda in 1777, and it is calledEötvös Loránd Universitytoday. The world's firstinstitute of technologywas founded inSelmecbányain 1735; its legal successor is theUniversity of Miskolc. TheBudapest University of Technology and Economicsis considered the oldest institute of technology in the world with university rank and structure, its legal predecessor the Institutum Geometrico-Hydrotechnicum was founded in 1782 byEmperor Joseph II.
Hungary ranks fourth (above neighbour Romania, and after China, the United States and Russia) in the all-time medal count at theInternational Mathematical Olympiadwith 336 total medals, dating back to 1959.
Hungary maintains auniversal health caresystem largely financed by governmentnational health insurance. According to theOECD, 100% of the population iscovered by universal health insurance,which is free for children, students, pensioners, people with low income, handicapped people, and church employees.Hungary spends 7.2% of GDP on healthcare, spending $2,045 per capita, of which $1,365 is provided by the government.
Hungary is one of the main destinations ofmedical tourismin Europe, particularly for dentistry,in which its share is 42% in Europe and 21% worldwide.Plastic surgeryis also a key sector, with 30% of the clients coming from abroad. Hungary is well known for its spa culture and is home tonumerous medicinal spas,which attract "spa tourism".
In common with developed countries, cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of mortality, accounting for 49.4% (62,979) of all deaths in 2013.However, this number peaked in 1985 with 79,355 deaths, and has been declining continuously since the fall of communism.The second leading cause of death is cancer with 33,274 (26.2%), which has been stagnant since the 1990s.Deaths from accidents dropped from 8,760 in 1990 to 3,654 in 2013; the number of suicides has declined precipitously from 4,911 in 1983 to 2,093 in 2013 (21.1 per 100,000 people), the lowest since 1956.There are considerable health disparities between the western and eastern parts of Hungary; heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and suicide is prevalent in the mostly agricultural and low-income Great Plain region in the east, but infrequent in the high-income, middle class areas of Western Transdanubia and Central Hungary.Smoking is a leading cause of death, although it is in steep decline: The proportion of adult smokers declined to 19% in 2013 from 28% in 2012, owing to strict regulations such as a nationwide smoking ban in every indoor public place and the limiting of tobacco sales to state-controlled "National Tobacco Shops".
Hungary is home to thelargest synagogue in Europe, built in 1859 inMoorish Revivalstyle with a capacity of 3,000 people; thelargest medicinal bath in Europe, completed in 1913 in ModernRenaissance styleand located in the Budapest city park; one of thelargest basilicas in Europe; thesecond-largest territorial abbeyin the world; and the largestearly Christian necropolisoutside Italy. Notable architectural styles includeHistoricismand variants ofArt Nouveau. In contrast to Historicism, Hungarian Art Nouveau is based on national architectural characteristics. Taking the eastern origins of the Hungarians into account,Ödön Lechner, the most important figure in Hungarian Art Nouveau, was initially inspired by Indian and Syrian architecture and later by traditional Hungarian decorative designs. In this way, he created an original synthesis of architectural styles. By applying them to three-dimensional architectural elements, he produced a version of Art Nouveau that was specific to Hungary. Turning away from the style of Lechner, yet taking inspiration from his approach, the group of "Young People" (Fiatalok), which includedKároly Kósand Dezsö Zrumeczky, used the characteristic structures and forms of traditional Hungarian architecture to achieve the same end.
Besides the two principal styles, Budapest also displays local versions of trends originating from other European countries. The Sezession fromVienna, the GermanJugendstil, Art Nouveau from Belgium and France, and the influence of English and Finnish architecture are all reflected in the buildings constructed at the turn of the 20th century.Béla Lajtainitially adopted Lechner's style, subsequently drawing his inspiration from English and Finnish trends; after developing an interest in theEgyptianstyle, he finally arrived at modern architecture.Aladár Árkaytook almost the same route.István Medgyaszaydeveloped his own style, which differed from Lechner's, using stylised traditional motifs to create decorative designs in concrete. In the sphere of applied arts, those chiefly responsible for promoting the spread of Art Nouveau were the School and Museum of Decorative Arts, which opened in 1896.
In the Budapest downtown area almost all the buildings are about one hundred years old, with thick walls, high ceilings, and motifs on the front walls.
Hungarian music consists mainly of traditionalHungarian folk musicand music by prominent composers such asFranz LisztandBéla Bartók, considered to be among the greatest Hungarian composers. Other renowned composers areErnst von Dohnányi,Franz Schmidt,Zoltán Kodály,Gabriel von Wayditch,Rudolf Wagner-Régeny,László Lajtha,Franz Lehár,Imre Kálmán,Sándor VeressandMiklós Rózsa. Hungarian traditional music tends to have a strongdactylicrhythm, as the language is invariably stressed on the first syllable of each word.
Hungary has renowned composers of contemporary classical music,György Ligeti,György Kurtág,Péter Eötvös,Zoltán KodályandZoltán Jeneyamong them. Bartók was among the most significant musicians of the 20th century. His music was invigorated by the themes, modes, and rhythmic patterns of the Hungarian and neighbouring folk music traditions he studied, which he synthesised with influences from his contemporaries into his own distinctive style.Folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and has been significant in former country parts that belong—since the 1920 Treaty of Trianon—to neighbouring countries such as Romania, Slovakia, Poland and especially in southern Slovakia and Transylvania. After the establishment of a music academy led by Liszt andFerenc Erkel,
Broughton claims that Hungary's "infectious sound has been surprisingly influential on neighboring countries (thanks perhaps to the common Austro-Hungarian history) and it's not uncommon to hear Hungarian-sounding tunes in Romania, Slovakia and Poland".It is also strong in theSzabolcs-Szatmárarea and in the southwest part of Transdanubia, near the border with Croatia. TheBusójáráscarnival in Mohács is a major Hungarian folk music event, formerly featuring the long-established and well-regardedBogyiszló Orchestra.
Hungarian classical music has long been an "experiment, made from Hungarian antecedents and on Hungarian soil, to create a conscious musical culture [using the] musical world of the folk song".Although the Hungarian upper class has long had cultural and political connections with the rest of Europe, leading to an influx of European musical ideas, the rural peasants maintained their own traditions such that by the end of the 19th-century Hungarian composers could draw on rural peasant music to (re)create a Hungarian classical style.For example, Bartók collected folk songs from across Central and Eastern Europe, including Romania and Slovakia, while Kodály was more interested in creating a distinctively Hungarian musical style.
During the era of communist rule in Hungary, a Song Committee scoured and censored popular music for traces of subversion and ideological impurity. Since then, however, the Hungarian music industry has begun to recover, producing successful performers in the fields ofjazzsuch as trumpeterRudolf Tomsits, pianist-composerKároly Binderand, in a modernised form of Hungarian folk,Ferenc SebőandMárta Sebestyén. The three giants of Hungarian rock,Illés,MetróandOmega, remain very popular, especially Omega, which has followings in Germany and beyond as well as in Hungary. Older veteran underground bands such asBeatrice, from the 1980s, also remain popular.
Traditional dishes such as the world-famousgoulash(gulyásstew orgulyássoup) feature prominently in Hungarian cuisine. Dishes are often flavoured withpaprika(ground red peppers), a Hungarian innovation.The paprika powder, obtained from a special type of pepper, is one of the most common spices used in typical Hungarian cuisine. Thick, heavy sour cream calledtejfölis often used to soften the flavour of a dish. The famous Hungarian hot river fish soup calledfisherman's souporhalászléis usually a rich mixture of several kinds of poached fish.
Other dishes arechicken paprikash,foie grasmade of goose liver,pörköltstew,vadas, (game stew with vegetable gravy anddumplings), trout with almonds and salty and sweet dumplings, liketúrós csusza, (dumplings with freshquarkcheese and thick sour cream). Desserts include the iconicDobos torte,strudels(rétes), filled with apple, cherry, poppy seed or cheese,Gundel pancake, plum dumplings (szilvás gombóc),somlóidumplings, dessert soups like chilledsour cherry soupand sweet chestnut puree,gesztenyepüré(cookedchestnutsmashed with sugar and rum and split into crumbs, topped with whipped cream).Perecandkifliare widely popular pastries.
Thecsárdais the most distinctive type of Hungarian inn, an old-style tavern offering traditional cuisine and beverages.Borozóusually denotes a cosy old-fashioned wine tavern,pinceis a beer or wine cellar and asörözőis apuboffering draught beer and sometimes meals. Thebisztróis an inexpensive restaurant often with self-service. Thebüféis the cheapest place, although one may have to eat standing at a counter. Pastries, cakes and coffee are served at the confectionery calledcukrászda, while aneszpresszóis a café.
Pálinkais a fruit brandy, distilled from fruit grown in the orchards situated on the Great Hungarian Plain. It is a spirit native to Hungary and comes in a variety of flavours including apricot (barack) and cherry (cseresznye). However, plum (szilva) is the most popular flavour. Beer goes well with many traditional Hungarian dishes. The five main Hungarian beer brands are:Borsodi,Soproni,Arany Ászok,Kõbányai, andDreher.People traditionally do not clink their glasses or mugs when drinking beer. There is an urban legend in Hungarian culture that Austrian generals clinked their beer glasses to celebrate the execution ofthe 13 Martyrs of Aradin 1849. Many people still follow the tradition, although younger people often disavow it, citing that the vow was only meant to last 150 years.
Hungary is ideal for wine-making, and the country can be divided into numerous regions.The Romans brought vines to Pannonia, and by the 5th century AD, there are records of extensive vineyards in what is now Hungary. The Hungarians brought their wine-making knowledge from the East. According toIbn Rustah, the Hungarian tribes were familiar with wine-making long before theirconquest of the Carpathian Basin.The different wine regions offer a great variety of styles: the main products of the country are elegant and full-bodied dry whites with good acidity, although complex sweet whites (Tokaj), elegant (Eger) and full-bodied robust reds (VillányandSzekszárd). The main varieties are: Olaszrizling,Hárslevelű,Furmint,Pinot grisor Szürkebarát,Chardonnay(whites), Kékfrankos (orBlaufrankischin German),Kadarka,Portugieser,Zweigelt,Cabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet FrancandMerlot. The most famous wines from Hungary areTokaji AszúandEgri Bikavér.Tokajiwine has received accolades from numerous great writers and composers.For over 150 years, a blend of forty Hungarian herbs has been used to create the liqueurunicum, a bitter, dark-coloured liqueur that can be drunk as an apéritif or after a meal.
Hungarian athleteshave been successful contenders in theSummer Olympic Games. Hungary ranks 9th with a total of 511 medals in theall-time Summer Olympic Games medal count. Hungary has the third-highest number ofOlympic medalsper capita and second-highest number of gold medals per capita in the world.Hungary has historically excelled in Olympic water sports. Inwater polothe men's Hungarian team is theleading medal winner by a significant margin, and in swimmingthe men'sandthe women'steams are both rank fifth-most successful. Hungary leads the overall medal count incanoeing and kayaking. Hungary won its first gold medal in Winter Olympics in 2018 in men's short track speed skating with a team of four:Csaba Burján,Shaolin Sándor Liu,Shaoang Liu, andViktor Knoch.
Hungary hosted many global sports events, including the1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships,2000 World Fencing Championships,2001 World Allround Speed Skating Championships,2008 World Interuniversity Games,2008 World Modern Pentathlon Championships,2010 ITU World Championship Series, 2011IIHF World Championship,2013 World Fencing Championships,2013 World Wrestling Championships, 2014World Masters Athletics Championships,2017 World Aquatics Championshipsand2017 World Judo Championships, only in the last two decade. Besides these, Hungary was the home of many European-level tournaments, like2006 European Aquatics Championships,2010 European Aquatics Championships,2013 European Judo Championships,2013 European Karate Championships,2017 European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championshipand hosted 4 matches in theUEFA Euro 2020, which were held in the 67,889-seat newmulti-purposePuskás Ferenc Stadium.
Hungary has won three Olympic football titles. Hungary revolutionised the sport in the 1950s, laying the tactical fundamentals oftotal footballand dominating international football with theAranycsapat("Golden Team"), which includedFerenc Puskás, top goal scorer of the 20th century,to whom FIFA dedicatedits newest award, thePuskás Award. The team of that era has the secondall-time highest Football Elo Rating in the world, with 2166, and one of the longest undefeated runs in football history, remaining unbeaten in 31 games spanning more than four years.The post-golden age decades saw a gradually weakening Hungary, though recently there is renewal in all aspects. The Hungarian Children's Football Federation was founded in 2008, as youth development thrives. They hosted the2010 UEFA Futsal Championshipin Budapest and Debrecen, the first time theMLSZstaged aUEFAfinals tournament.
TheHungarian Grand PrixinFormula Onehas been held at theHungaroringjust outside Budapest, which circuit hasFIAGrade 1 licence.Since 1986, the race has been a round of theFormula OneWorld Championship. The track was completely resurfaced for the first time in early 2016, and it was announced the Grand Prix's deal was extended for a further five years, until 2026.Chessis a popular and successful sport, and the Hungarian players are the eighth most powerful overall on the ranking ofWorld Chess Federation.There are about 54Grandmastersand 118International Masters, which is more than inFranceorUnited Kingdom.Judit Polgárgenerally considered thestrongestfemale chess player of all time. Some of the world's bestsabreathletes have historically also hailed from Hungary,and in 2009, theHungary men's national ice hockey teamqualified for their firstIIHF World Championship, in 2015, they qualified for their second world championship in the top division.
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