01
Physical geography
Mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border.
Local timeBudapest ·
Europe / Central Europe · Card 021
Hungary
Hungary is a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Budapest.
Find Hungary
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Budapest
- Languages
- Hungarian
- Currency
- Hungarian forint (HUF)
- Population
- 9.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 93,028 km²35,918.30 square miles
- Republic
- 1989Current republican transition; earlier statehood is medieval.
Hungary in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Budapest; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Hungarian.
03
Location
Central Europe, northwest of Romania.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
History & status
Hungary developed as a medieval kingdom and later became part of the Habsburg realm. Austria-Hungary dissolved in 1918. Soviet influence shaped the communist period after the Second World War, and a peaceful political transition introduced multiparty government in 1989–90.
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An uprising against Soviet-backed rule is suppressed
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The republic is proclaimed during the democratic transition
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Hungary joins the European Union
Economy
Main activities
Vehicle manufacturing, electronics, pharmaceuticals, services and agriculture contribute to the economy. Export industries are closely linked to European production networks. Tourism is important in Budapest and other regions.
Industry and production
mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people9.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 10,337,910 | 10.338 |
| 1980 | 10,711,122 | 10.711 |
| 1990 | 10,373,988 | 10.374 |
| 2000 | 10,210,971 | 10.211 |
| 2010 | 10,000,023 | 10.000 |
| 2020 | 9,670,419 | 9.670 |
| 2025 | 9,514,251 | 9.514 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars159.02025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 89,698,143,066 | 89.698 |
| 1991 | 79,031,203,242 | 79.031 |
| 1992 | 76,609,544,645 | 76.610 |
| 1993 | 76,168,190,532 | 76.168 |
| 1994 | 78,412,984,829 | 78.413 |
| 1995 | 79,580,966,215 | 79.581 |
| 1996 | 79,661,529,391 | 79.662 |
| 1997 | 82,033,753,398 | 82.034 |
| 1998 | 85,190,500,944 | 85.191 |
| 1999 | 87,819,529,312 | 87.820 |
| 2000 | 91,691,821,699 | 91.692 |
| 2001 | 95,416,367,494 | 95.416 |
| 2002 | 99,929,623,991 | 99.930 |
| 2003 | 103,865,629,649 | 103.866 |
| 2004 | 109,020,611,056 | 109.021 |
| 2005 | 113,708,806,061 | 113.709 |
| 2006 | 118,182,032,746 | 118.182 |
| 2007 | 118,574,815,858 | 118.575 |
| 2008 | 119,752,782,053 | 119.753 |
| 2009 | 111,681,245,652 | 111.681 |
| 2010 | 112,873,946,276 | 112.874 |
| 2011 | 115,037,411,550 | 115.037 |
| 2012 | 113,496,503,293 | 113.497 |
| 2013 | 115,802,945,078 | 115.803 |
| 2014 | 120,822,254,245 | 120.822 |
| 2015 | 125,244,126,623 | 125.244 |
| 2016 | 128,298,381,763 | 128.298 |
| 2017 | 133,589,642,960 | 133.590 |
| 2018 | 141,078,862,882 | 141.079 |
| 2019 | 148,241,697,677 | 148.242 |
| 2020 | 141,809,897,486 | 141.810 |
| 2021 | 152,052,706,989 | 152.053 |
| 2022 | 158,366,514,062 | 158.367 |
| 2023 | 157,072,489,604 | 157.072 |
| 2024 | 158,186,244,447 | 158.186 |
| 2025 | 158,992,270,290 | 158.992 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.870Very High human developmentRank 46 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.730
20000.781
20100.838
20200.857
20230.870
77.0 yearsLife expectancy at birth
12.3 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. National Assembly (Országgyülés) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about Hungary.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Hungary?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.