Russian citizens receiving Hungarian citizenship double since Ukraine war began
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New Eurostat data reveals that the number of Russians granted Hungarian citizenship has doubled since before the war in Ukraine, reaching a decade-long high. At the same time, significantly fewer Ukrainians are applying for Hungarian citizenship, despite the ongoing conflict.
Russia’s war in Ukraine: how it affected the EU’s population
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary’s police began publishing daily reports on the number of people entering the country from Ukraine (one example from June 2022 HERE). These figures seemed to suggest that millions of Ukrainians had crossed into Hungary. However, it soon became clear that these statistics included commuters and transit travellers (not just refugees), making the numbers largely meaningless, HVG writes.
Yet, meaningful changes can be seen in official EU statistics. While it’s difficult to determine exactly how many Ukrainians settled in Hungary since the war began, the EU’s population has grown significantly, from 445 to 449 million between 2022 and 2024, due in large part to war-driven migration.