100,000s of foreigners live in Hungary, while 10,000s of Hungarians leave: what does this mean for the labour market?
Hungary’s population has been undergoing continuous change in recent years: while more and more foreign nationals arrive to work or settle in the country, many young Hungarians are choosing to build their future abroad. According to fresh data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), more than 255,000 foreign citizens were living in Hungary at the start of 2025 – meanwhile, over 41,000 Hungarians left the country permanently in 2024. This raises an increasingly pressing question: can foreign workers replace the domestic labour force that Hungary is losing?
More than a quarter of a million foreigners in Hungary
On 1 January 2025, there were 255,443 foreign citizens residing in Hungary, according to KSH data. Most came from Europe (135,000) and Asia (nearly 100,000). The largest communities include:
| Country | Number of people |
|---|
| Germany | 25,381 |
| China | 24,343 |
| Ukraine | 20,458 |
| Vietnam | 17,871 |
| Slovakia | 17,124 |
| Romania | 15,566 |
In addition, significant numbers have also arrived from India, South Korea and Türkiye. Although African and American nationals form smaller communities, there are still more than 3,000 U.S. citizens living in Hungary, according to Pénzcentrum.
Increasing number of foreigners in the workforce
Around 40% of foreign citizens in Hungary – a total of 100,643 people – are employed.
Among foreign workers, Vietnamese nationals make up the largest group (13,418), followed by:
- Ukrainians (11,999)
- Romanians (9,540)
- Chinese citizens (5,906)
- Indians (5,092)
The role of Asian workers is clearly growing, driven largely by labour shortages in industry and the service sector. Today, many manufacturing, logistics and processing companies rely heavily on them to maintain operations.
Meanwhile, over 41,000 Hungarians left in 2024
At the same time, emigration remains significant. In 2024, 41,294 Hungarian citizens moved abroad, primarily from the 20–39 age group – meaning many young, active and often highly educated workers.
The most popular destination countries include:
| Country | Number of emigrants (2024) |
|---|---|
| Austria | 22,864 |
| Germany | 7,887 |
| UK, The Netherlands, Switzerland altogether | ~4,200 |
Nearly 60% of emigrants are between 20 and 39 years old – the very age group that represents the country’s future workforce.
What is happening to Hungary’s population?
The trends are clear:
- Hungary is losing a substantial part of its young workforce, who seek better opportunities abroad.
- Their roles are increasingly filled by workers coming from Asia and Eastern Europe, particularly in industrial and service sectors.
- The social and economic structure of the country is changing rapidly, which in the long term will reshape not only the labour market, but also education, healthcare and community life.
What does this mean in everyday life?
- Industry and logistics sectors are now heavily dependent on foreign labour.
- Workplaces are becoming more multilingual and multicultural, requiring adaptation from both employers and employees.
- At the same time, Hungarian families and communities are being fragmented by emigration.
Experts warn that unless Hungary can provide better living and working conditions for young people, the trend is likely to continue in the coming years – and the country may struggle to replace those who leave.
Hungary needs to get with the program like the power players in the EU and open its borders. Diversity is their greatest strengh. Social media has it covered daily. There is big money to be made on spendind billions on social programs for new arrivals. One guy has 17 wives and over 100 kids all expenses paid by the governent. Is job is keeping all his women pregnant- each can qualify as a single mom with kids , most already have expensess paid for by the state – this is multiplying daily.
Such an idiot.
Who has 17 wives except king David in the old testament?
Are you bullsh#ting yourself?
Again your comment reeks of stupidity. Try something called research.
Hey Steiner 2 😂!
Please put the search result that you found about a man with 17 wives and 100 child!
Show us your Geniousity
this is the result I got: ” It is repeating a fictional, inflammatory story that has no basis in fact. The purpose of such content is to generate strong emotional reactions (anger, fear) and to spread a specific political narrative, not to report factual news.”
To: Tm – WHAT?
I chose to live in Hungary precisely because this country does NOT want to abide by the EU’s dastardly idea of importing thousands of people without jobs, training, or education, and who will not want to integrate into society. The EU “power players” are crooks and idiots who want the EU states to lose their own sovereignty and be forced to participate in the dismal war across the eastern border.
As a landlocked country, Hungary must maintain its advantages: a sound social order, a traditional and peaceful way of life, and a strict immigration policy.
DE ouderen brengen wel hun pensioen mee van het buitenland !! Zij leven NIET zoals alle import Afrikaans volk van de bijstand van het gastland !!Dat soort volk heeft ervoor gezorgddat Wij in het land van Orban wonen
AI English translation: “The elderly do bring their pensions from abroad! They do NOT live like all other African imports on welfare from their host country! These kinds of people are the reason we live in Orbán’s country”.
I understand the sentiment. I live in Canada where Hungarian imports live on welfare from their host country. Some of them are deported. They change their names in Hungary and come back to Canada to once again use our social assistance system. Some of them actually live in Hungary while the money in Canada is deposited to their accounts.