population

Orbán’s family support has not been a success, the Hungarian population is falling

baby cry

The number of births fell by 6.9 percent in November compared with the same month in the previous year, while deaths dropped by 5.6 percent, according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Monday.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages decreased by 2.2 percent in the same period.

Fully 6,780 children were born in November, while there were 10,351 deaths. Altogether, 3,107 couples got married.

The natural population loss was 3,571 people compared with 3,678 in October 2022.

Fully 78,579 children were born between January 2023 and November 2023, 3.1 percent fewer than in the same period of last year. Altogether 114,950 people died between January 2023 and November 2023, 7.2 percent fewer than in the same period of last year.

According to KSH, in the same period, 47,480 couples tied the knot, 22 percent fewer than in the same period of last year.

There were 8.9 live births and 13.1 deaths per thousand inhabitants, the former 0.02 of a percentage point lower than in the January-October 2022 period, while the death rate was 0.09 of a percentage point lower.

As we wrote earlier, Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) has revealed the detailed results of the 2022 census, providing interesting data about the knowledge of languages, ethnicity and religion of Hungarians, details HERE.

Also we wrote about more than 400 thousand Hungarian will disappear by 2050, as population decline seems irreversible. But this number is not that scary if we put it into other perspectives, read more details HERE.

Foreigners are taking over in these two districts in Budapest

tourism_budapest China_chinese_tourist_hungary_selfie_kató_alpár

The number of foreign citizens has seen a significant surge in recent years. According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, two districts stand out with notably high numbers of foreign residents. The majority of these individuals hail from countries outside the European Union.

Foreign residents in Budapest

Telex reported that during the 2022 census, all residents in Hungary completed a survey, unveiling valuable insights into Budapest’s demographic makeup. The survey included both foreigners who have resided in Hungary for over three months and individuals who live abroad but maintain a Hungarian address.
As per the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, the Hungarian capital is now home to 98,319 foreign citizens, constituting approximately 5.8% of the city’s population. While one might assume that most of these individuals originate from the EU, given the ease of movement within the European Union, the reality differs significantly. Only around 30% of these foreign residents come from EU countries, with the remaining 70% originating from non-EU nations. Additionally, a recent survey indicated that three-quarters of Hungarians support the Christian culture.

Demographic breakdown of the foreign population

It would be interesting to examine the composition of the foreign population, but the latest data remains unavailable. In 2011, 3.27% (56,632 people) of Budapest‘s population hailed from other countries. During that period, a substantial proportion of these residents came from neighbouring nations like Romania, Ukraine, Slovakia and Serbia. There were also considerable numbers from Germany and Russia, with 15,741 people arriving from various Asian countries, predominantly China and Vietnam. An additional 2,595 arrived from the States, while 1,393 came from Africa.

Most preferred districts in Budapest

The prevalence of foreign residents diminishes notably in other regions of the country, with every second foreigner in Hungary residing in the capital, while the remainder is distributed throughout the countryside. The most favoured location within Budapest is Terézváros (District VI.), where approximately 24.8% of the population originates from foreign countries. This area has experienced a substantial upward trend in its foreign population. In 2001, this percentage stood at a mere 3.1%, but by 2011, it had risen to 8.4%. Should this trend continue, there may eventually be more foreign residents than Hungarian citizens in Terézváros. The district’s mayor underscores the importance of English-language communication to keep residents informed about critical news.
District V. claims the second spot in terms of Budapest neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of foreign residents. The percentage of foreigners in this district was 3.6% in 2001, and it increased to 7.9% over the following decade. Presently, it stands at 23.5%, reflecting a remarkable growth. Conversely, the District XXI. (Csepel) does not attract a substantial number of foreign citizens, with their proportion growing only from 1.2% to 1.7% over the past two decades. As previously reported, the Mayor of Budapest emphasised that “Cities should dismantle barriers and construct bridges to preserve their values.”

The 2022 census results are out: here are the most important details

The 2022 census results are out here are the most important details
The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) has revealed the detailed results of the 2022 census, providing interesting data about the knowledge of languages, ethnicity and religion of Hungarians.

Population and Demography

A total of 9,603,634 people live in Hungary. The gender distribution is nearly equal, with 1,000 men for every 1,078 women. The number of people currently employed has increased from 3.9 million to 4.7 million compared to 2011 when the previous census was held. According to 24.hu, Marcell Kovács, the project coordinator of the census, revealed that the decline in the number of marriages is slowing down, with a 12% increase in marriages under the age of 30. Additionally, 73% of women have at least one child.

Knowledge of Foreign Languages

The number of young English speakers has nearly doubled. More than 50% of people in their 20s speak English, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, as highlighted by G7. Overall, around a quarter of the entire population has some level of English knowledge, marking a significant increase compared to 2011 (16%) and 2001 (less than 10%). German is the second most popular language, primarily spoken by people aged between 30 and 39.

Religion and atheism

There has been a large drop in the Catholic population. The question about religion was optional, with 60% volunteering to answer. Among the respondents, 50% identified themselves as Catholic, 16% as members of the Reformed Church, and only 3.1% belonged to the Lutheran Church. The most noticeable change compared to the previous censuses in 2001 and 2011 is the decrease in the number of Catholic people. In 2001, approximately 5 million people claimed to be Catholic, in 2011 it was 3.7 million, and in the last year, it plummeted to 2.9 million. The Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference expressed gratitude to everyone who identified themselves as Catholic, noting that international tendencies are reflected in the census statistics.
The Hungarian Atheist Association criticised the fact that atheist individuals could not mark their status in the “religion” section of the questionnaire, unlike in 2011 when there was a separate option. They turned to the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights who rejected their complaint without investigating the merits, ruling that it was okay that KSH only inquired about the respondents’ religious beliefs. However, as rtl.hu reported, their decision was successfully challenged by the Hungarian Atheist Association: the Metropolitan Court ruled that the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights could not have refused to investigate the complaint and ordered them to conduct a new procedure.

2022 Census on Minorities

There has been a sharp decrease in the Roma population, while the number of Ukrainians has surged. Back in the days, Hungary used to be a multicultural country with multiple minorities, but the Trianon Peace Treaty in 1920 significantly changed the country’s demographics. It is interesting to note that the number of Roma has dropped to slightly more than 200 thousand compared to 2011 when the number was 350 thousand. According to Telex.hu, the Roma population did not actually decrease; many Romas chose not to disclose their origin.
In 2022, more than 142 thousand Germans resided in Hungary, which is around 40 thousand less than 11 years ago. Historically, more German people lived in Hungary, but after the Second World War, many of them were forced to leave the country. The number of Ukrainian people has also considerably risen from 7,396 to 24,609. This increase is not solely attributed to the war between Ukraine and Russia; many Ukrainians had been working in Hungary before Russia’s invasion.
Author: István Hegyesi

Perplexing trends: Fewer Romani but more foreigners in Hungary?

Romani

After examining the Hungarian Central Statistical Office’s data (KSH) regarding the 2022 census, one dichotomy strikingly stands out: the number of Romani has seemingly dropped in comparison to the penultimate census results, while the quantity of foreigners have surged. Does this mean that the Roma population has been on the decline?

Number of Romani in 2011 versus 2022

As Telex reported, almost 315 thousand people identified themselves as Roma in 2011. If we compare this figure to the result of the last census carried out in 2022, we see a striking decline: only 209,909 individuals identified themselves as members of the Roma community. Does this mean that in this 11-years interval almost 105,000 Romani left Hungary? Probably not. The key to this phenomenon might be more obvious than we think.

Read more: Hungary proud on high Roma employment levels

What is behind the “decrease”?

As we have come to the conclusion, it is highly unlikely that this many Romani had left the country in under 11 years. There must be other possible explanations of the aforementioned trend. As Telex points out, the number of respondents who refused to answer nationality-related questions is worryingly high. Although it is impossible to draw any direct conclusions, the fact that Hungary’s leading party coalition opts for a rather nationalist way to approach the ethnicity issue may have influenced the respondents’ answers when filling up the forms. In other words, the majority of ethnic minorities may believe that the government favours Hungarian people over them, whom they deem somewhat privileged in that sense. When it comes to the Roma population, Ágnes Kende sociologist has indicated the following in her article: Romani “are being segregated at school, are having a hard time finding an apartment, are denied to enter clubs (…), one way or another, they are discriminated by the society”. Taking this aspect into consideration, it is not surprising that many Romani try to conceal their identity in the public eye in order not to face any discriminative treatment.

The bright side of the census

Despite the significant setback of the number of Romani who are willing to identify themselves as such, foreigners are becoming more open to answering the census’s questions regarding their nationality. This results in the potential growth of the number of self-identified immigrants. To sum up, we can witness a proliferation of their number in the past 20 years. There are approximately 217 thousand foreigners residing in Hungary, HSCO states. However, the phenomenon in question is quite surprising, taking into account the rather anti-foreigner propaganda of the Fidesz-ruled government. At the same time, we must note that, due to the Ukrainian war, the number of Ukrainians residing in Hungary went through a serious incrementation.

Read more: Foreigners flocking to Hungary: a safe haven for expats?

Number of Hungarians falling rapidly, marriages also drop

Hungarian flag (2)

The number of births fell by 11 percent in June compared with the same month in the previous year, while deaths dropped by 7.2 percent, according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) on Friday.

Meanwhile, the number of marriages decreased by 20 percent in the same period. Fully 7,234 children were born in June, while there were 9,218 deaths. Altogether, 5,736 couples got married. The natural population loss was 1,984 people compared with 1,178 in June 2022.

Fully 41,892 children were born between January 2023 and June 2023, 0.3 percent fewer than in the same period of last year. Altogether 64,642 people died between January 2023 and June 2023, 7.1 percent fewer than in the same period of last year. In the same period, 20,897 couples tied the knot, 30 percent fewer than in the same period of last year. There were 8.8 live births and 13.6 deaths per thousand inhabitants, the former level with the January-June 2022 period, while the death rate was 0.9 percentage points lower.

Shocking numbers came after cumulating all census data in Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia and Austria (Ukraine has not conducted one since 2001). The number of Hungarians in the Carpathian basin fell below 11.5 million Meanwhile, that number almost reached 15 million 30 years ago. The number of Hungarians living beyond Hungary’s borders is below 1.8 million, e.g. the community in Transylvania is barely above 1 million, while it was above 2.2 million in 1990. The fall is significant even in Hungary, where the population no longer reaches 9.7 million. HERE is an article about Hungary’s population falling below 7 million by 2050.

Gloomy outlook: Hungary’s population could fall to 7 million by 2050?

budapest people hungarians demographic

Zsolt Németh, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly, told the Hungarian News Agency MTI that “Hungarians are dwindling, so the government must also focus on ensuring that as many Hungarians as possible “remain Hungarian” or “become Hungarian”.

Hungarians could fall back to 8.5-9 million

“We are shrinking quite dramatically in the Carpathian Basin (…) We are facing a period when the number of Hungarians here in the Carpathian Basin will be such that in our lifetime, including Hungarians abroad, we will be 8.5-9 million,” Zsolt Németh said at a panel discussion at the Rákóczi Szabadegyetem in Sátoraljaújhely, Telex reports. He added that the population within Hungary’s borders could fall to 7 million by 2050 if trends do not change.

Hungarians across the border are also dwindling

He also described the census data and demographic indicators from across the border as extremely depressing:

  • In Transylvania, the number of Hungarians has fallen from 1.6 million to 1 million in thirty years;
  • In Felvidék (Upper Hungary), the decline is 20 percent;
  • In the Southern Land (Délvidék), the Yugoslav wars have decimated the Hungarian population;
  • And in Transcarpathia, Németh said, “we don’t know what is happening”, but there is at least a 40 percent decline.

Hungary’s population could have been even smaller

Németh and his interlocutor, State Secretary János Árpád Potápi, also agreed that if Hungarians had not come to Hungary from beyond the borders in the 1990s, the population of the 93,000-square-kilometre area would be under 9 million today. According to the panelists, the government’s family policy has not yet changed this situation.

Brutal population decline: Hungarians are dropping like flies

Hungarian population decline

Although population decline has eased slightly, the trend has not yet been reversed in Hungary as the population of the country fell by another 42 thousand in a year. Meanwhile, the number of Hungarians who have disappeared from Serbia has also been revealed.

According to preliminary data, 7004 children were born and 11 606 people died in March 2023. The number of births was the same as in March 2022, while deaths fell by 7.3 percent and marriages by 32 percent, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) told MTI on Friday.

It said 7004 children were born in March, the same number as a year earlier. 11,606 people died, 7.3 percent fewer than in March last year, or 920 fewer. The natural death rate was 4,602 compared to 5,522 in March 2022.

Between April 2022 and March 2023, 89,799 children were born, 0.7 percent or 611 fewer than in the previous 12 months. In January-March this year, the number of births increased by 7.1 percent compared to the same months in 2022. The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.55, the same as in the previous 12 months.

According to the KSH, 131,883 deaths occurred, 12 percent or 18,272 fewer than in the previous 12 months. In the first quarter of this year, the number of deaths fell by 10 percent compared to the same period in 2022.

Births fell by less than deaths, resulting in a natural decrease of 42,084, 30 percent lower than the 59,745 deaths in the previous 12 months. Despite the positive trend, the natural decrease is still huge in Hungary.

Hungarian population decline in Serbia has been revealed

As we have previously written, Serbia faces an even larger population loss than Hungary, but at the time of the Hungarian census, there weren’t any fresh Serbian data available to make an estimate about the decrease of the Hungarian minority.

Now, the Serbian National Institute of Statistics published the results of the Serbian census, Szabad Magyar Szó reports. Out of a population of 6,647,003, 184,442 identified themselves as Hungarians.

This means that the Hungarian minority remained the largest in Serbia ahead of the Bosnian and Romani minorities. At the time of the 2011 census, the number of Hungarians was 253,899. This means that now 69,457 fewer Hungarian live in Serbia than 11 years ago. This represents a 28 percent decrease.

400,000 Hungarians will disappear in just a few years’ time

Ageing Society Hungarian Population Decline

More than 400 thousand Hungarian will disappear by 2050, as population decline seems irreversible. But this number is not that scary if we put it into other perspectives.

According to Eurostat’s latest population projection, Hungary’s population could decrease by 400,000 by 2050 and by a further 600,000 by 2100, Pénzcentrum reports.

The population of the European Union will decrease by 6 percent between 1 January 2022 and 1 January 2100, equivalent to 27.3 million fewer people, according to Eurostat.

Ageing society

The proportion of children and young people (aged 0 to 19 years) in the total population is projected to decrease from 20 percent at the beginning of 2022 to 18 percent by 2100. Similarly, the share of working-age people (aged 20-64 years) in the EU’s total population is projected to decrease from 59 percent in 2022 to 50 percent in 2100.

In contrast, the share of older age groups (65 years and above) in the EU’s total population is projected to increase. The share of those aged between 65-79 is expected to rise by 2 percentage points (pp) from 15 percent at the beginning of 2022 to 17 percent in 2100, while the share of those aged 80 years or more is foreseen to be more than double, from 6 to 15 percent. The EU’s population is projected to peak at 453 million people in 2026, before decreasing to a projected level of 420 million in 2100.

Hungary set to lose almost a tenth of its inhabitants

Hungary’s population has been declining since 1981, and at a rate previously seen only in the years of the two world wars. According to the Central Statistical Office (KSH), the country’s population has fallen by an estimated 737 000 since 1981. In comparison, Eurostat’s population projections show a population loss of 5.7 percent. The number of men will fall from 4.644 million to 4.548 million and the number of women from 5.044 million to 4.505 million over the next 80 years.

This means that by 2050 there will be about 400,000 fewer Hungarian than now, but by 2100 there will be a million fewer than today.

Pénzcentrum’s analysis of Eurostat’s data points out that the less than 6 percent population decline is not the worst in the region. Poland, with more than 38 million inhabitants, and Romania, with 19 million, are set to see their populations fall by 23-23 percent in the next decades.

Of course, Hungary’s projections are still shocking compared to the Western economic powerhouses of Germany and France, where immigration can recuperate the losses of ageing societies. There Eurostat predicts only 0.5 and 0.2 percent loss respectively, while they are projecting growing tendencies for Scandinavian and Benelux states.

Although the population decline in Hungary is set to be not that huge compared to our neighbours, the Hungarian population in the entire Carpathian Basin is lower than ever.

The proportion of gypsy society in Hungary is increasing

Khamoro Gypsy Dance Group

The proportion of people with “Roma ties” in Hungary may rise from roughly 5.5 percent in 2011 to 9 percent by 2050. A continuously growing, but moderately aging gypsy population in Hungary is projected by the scenarios that were carried out at the Research Institute of Population Studies of the KSH.

The proportion of gypsy society in the Hungarian population is constantly increasing

The authors of the study “Forecasting the Hungarian Roma population until 2050” point out: the country’s population has been decreasing since 1980, and deaths exceed the number of births. In the case of the Roma, however, we can still speak of natural reproduction. This results in the constant proportion growth when it comes to Roma people, writes portfolio.hu. According to the most likely scenario, the number of gypsy-related population is 697 thousand. Two other calculations are 654 thousand and 805 thousand by 2050.

School graduation of gypsy women is expected to increase in the future

The number of women of childbearing age is decreasing nationwide. Therefore, fewer children will be born in the next 40 years. This trend is not characteristic of Roma society, in their case the number of women of childbearing age was 155,000 in 2011, which is expected to increase in the future. At the same time, school graduation of gypsy women is projected to increase in the future. However, this also means that they will have fewer children and their fertility ratio will decrease. There is a close connection between education and fertility: as the education level increases, the average number of children decreases. Nevertheless, changes in the fertility “behavior” of Roma women will affect the number of women of childbearing age only 15 years later.

The proportion of “Roma people” in Hungary is increasing

As Hungary’s population is aging, the proportion of “Roma people” in the total population will increase in all age groups. While the proportion of the elderly exceeded 15 percent in Hungary in 2011, only 5.1 percent of the Roma population belonged to this age group. According to the basic version of the national forecast, this value will rise to 28 percent by 2050, while the proportion of elderly people with “Roma ties” will be only 15.7 percent.

The main reason for this is that the estimated life expectancy at birth increases in their case as well. According to the basic hypothesis, the mortality characteristics of the Roma improve slightly, but their life expectancy at birth rises more slowly than that of the majority of society. The initial five-year lag between Roma and non-Roma increases to 7 years by the end of the period. It increases from 75.0 to 78.4 years for women and from 66.8 to 72.9 years for men.

town house
Read alsoHome buyers are flocking from Romania to Hungary

Hungarian population smaller than ever in the Carpathian Basin

Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin Szeklerland tradition

The Hungarian population in the Carpathian Basin fell below 11.5 million. The Hungarian diaspora in neighbouring countries is now smaller than 1.8 million.

For the first time, the Hungarian resident population of the Carpathian Basin has fallen below 11.5 million. The number of Hungarians living outside the borders shrank to 1.8 million, according to aggregated census data from Hungary and neighbouring countries from Válasz Online.

Hungary’s population was 9 million 604 thousand at the end of the 2022 census last October. However, that number also included foreigners living in Hungary. To get a better picture of the Hungarian population living in the Carpathian Basin, Válasz Online collected the latest available data from neighbouring countries.

Semmelweis University Budapest Harvard
Read alsoMore than 126,000 students apply for university places in Hungary

Although the population in Hungary continues to shrink, we are not alone in this regard. 4 of our 7 neighbours are reporting population loss. The most significant of them are Romania and Serbia.

The latest numbers from our neighbours

For the first time ever, the population fell below 20 million in Romania. The number of ethnic Hungarians decreased by 200.000 since 2011. The change is not only explained by the fact that Hungarians living outside Hungary have returned to Hungary, but also by the fact that some of them have moved to Western Europe.

But there are still over 1 million Hungarians living in Romania. Due to the overall population loss of the country, the proportion of the Hungarian population did not deteriorate compared to the previous census.

Interestingly, compared to 2011, not much has changed in Slovakia. While the number of Hungarian speakers fell from 508,000 to 462,000, the number of those who identify themselves as Hungarian has barely changed. The Hungarian population was only 1,000 fewer than in 2011, according to the latest Slovakian data from 2021.

travel passport documents
Read alsoVisa reform: non-EU citizens will have to pay, get new authorisation to enter Hungary

The number of Hungarians living in Serbia fell drastically, by 60-70 thousand in the last 10 years. Less than 200 thousand Hungarians are living in the northernmost part of Serbia. In Croatia, the number of Hungarians fell from 14 thousand to 10 thousand, while in Slovenia according to Attila Kovács from the Institute for Ethnic Studies in Slovenia, less than 4000 Hungarians live in the country compared to 4800 in 2011.

It is hard to define the number of Hungarians living in Ukraine due to the war. In 2017 there were less than 130 thousand Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, but many of them emigrated to Hungary after Russia’s invasion.

Austria is also in a particular position, where it is hard to distinguish the ethnic Hungarians from those, who recently moved for economic reasons. The number of ethnic Hungarians is estimated to be no more than a few thousand people.

Conclusion

Overall, according to Válasz Online’s calculation, the number of Hungarians living abroad has decreased from 2 million 706 thousand to roughly 1 million 821 thousand in the last 30 years. If we add that Hungary’s population reduced from 10 million 375 thousand to 9 million 604 thousand, we get that the number of Hungarians in the Carpathian Basin has decreased from 13 million 81 thousand to approximately 11 million 425 thousand.

Hungarians continue to shrink

budapest people hungarians demographic

Preliminary data show that 7,398 children were born and 11,342 people died in January, with the number of live births decreasing by 3.4 percent and deaths by 14 percent between February 2022-January 2023 compared with the same period a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Thursday.

The natural population loss was 3,944 in January this year as against 6,591 in January 2022, KSH said.

In January 2023, 1,230 couples tied the knot, down 45 percent from January 2022.

In the past 12 months, 89,183 children were born, down 3.4 percent from the same period of last year, while 133,836 people died, 14 percent fewer than in the previous year.

The natural population loss came to 44,653 compared with 62,705 in the same period of last year, a drop of 29 percent.

Between February 2022 and January 2023, 63,104 couples were married, 12 percent fewer than in the previous year.

budapest bad weather
Read also National, Budapest heat records broken!

The population in Hungary has fallen by this much

Kovács Marcell population

Hungary had a population of 9,604,000 at the start of the latest census on Oct. 1, the Central Statistical Office said on Thursday.

Presenting the preliminary results of the census, Marcell Kovács, the census’s project manager, told a press conference that there were 4,593,000 households in the country last October.

The census counted 4,613,000 men, 4,491,000 women and 1,407,000 children, he said. The economically active population aged between 15 and 64 was 6,201,000, while the elderly population comprising those aged over 65 was 1,995,000.

The natural population loss between the 2011 and 2022 censuses was 464,000, Kovács said. This was mitigated by an influx of 131,000 immigrants, mainly from nearby countries, bringing the total population decline over 11 years to 333,000, he added.

Hungary’s population has been shrinking since 1980 when it reached 10,907,000, Kovács said.

Both the number of births and deaths have been fluctuating over the last 11 years, he said, adding that the birth rate had been increasing up until 2021 after bottoming out in 2011. The fertility rate has risen to over 1.5 from 1.23 since 2011, he said.

The annual number of deaths was around 130,000 over the last 11 years, Kovács said, adding, however, that this number had risen to 141,000 in 2020 and 156,000 in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The elderly make up 21 percent of the population, while children account for 15 percent, he said. The elderly population increased by 318,000, or 19 percent, between the last two censuses, whereas the child population saw a minor and the economically active population a significant decline, he added.

In terms of a regional breakdown, only Pest and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties saw population increases, Kovács said. Pest County saw the biggest increase at 10 percent, while Békés County experienced the biggest population decline at 13 percent.

The changes are mainly down to the natural population decline, which was largest in Békés County and smallest in Szabolcs-Szatmar Bereg and Pest counties, Kovács said.

Budapest was found to be the most densely populated area in the country overall, with the most densely populated counties being Pest, Komarom-Esztergom and Győr-Moson-Sopron. The most sparsely populated county is Somogy County. Altogether 18 percent of the population lives in Budapest.

Meanwhile, Kovács said Hungary’s housing stock had increased by 4.6 percent since 2011, adding that it had increased everywhere with the exception of Békés County.

Kovács noted that the questionnaires were filled out online during the first 19 days of the census. Fully 7 million individual questionnaires were returned during this period, he said. A further 2.2 million questionnaires were returned after census officers visited the remaining households, while another 63,000 were filled out at mayors’ offices, bringing the total number of questionnaires collected to 9.2 million, he added.

KSH president Gabriella Vukovich noted that the 2022 census was the first one in Hungary to be carried out fully electronically.

Data for future censuses will be supplied from state databases, she said.

Inflation
Read alsoThese three food items have doubled in price in Hungary within a year

One and a half times as many people died as were born in Hungary in November

baby cry children

Preliminary data show that 7,040 children were born and 10,220 people died in November 2022, with the number of live births decreasing by 5.2 percent and deaths by 11 percent in December 2021-November 2022 compared with the same period a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Monday.

The natural population loss was 3,180 in November this year as against 7,826 in November 2021, KSH said.

In November 2022, 3,177 couples tied the knot, down 18 percent from November 2021.

In the past 12 months, 88,118 children were born, down 5.2 percent from the same period of last year, while 139,324 people died, 11 percent fewer than in the previous year.

The natural population loss came to 51,206 compared with 63,381 in the same period of last year, a drop of 12 percent.

Between December 2021 and November 2022, 65,573 couples were married, 7.6 percent fewer than in the previous year.

budapest
Read alsoHow many people will live in Hungary in 2050?

Between December 2021 and November 2022:

88,118 children were born, 5.2% less or 4,794 fewer than in the previous twelve months. 5.7% less children were born in January–November this year, within which the number of births went down by 11% in January–April and by 8.4% in August–November and increased by 4.1% in May–July compared to the same period of 2021.

The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.52 per female, compared to 1.58 calculated for the previous twelve months.

There were 139,324 deaths, 11% less or 16,969 fewer than in the previous twelve months. The number of deaths fell by 12% in January–November this year, within which diminishing by 4.4% in January, by 21% in March–June and by 16% in September–November and growing by 4.9% in February and by 6.1% in July–August compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

The number of births went down to a lower extent than that of deaths, as a result of which the natural decrease was 51,206, which was 19% lower than the value of 63,381 for the previous twelve months.

65,573 couples got married, 7.6% less or 5,411 fewer than in the previous twelve months. The number of marriages decreased by 9.5% in January–November this year, within which 10% less marriages were registered in January–April and 11% less in June–November and 3.6% more in May than in the same months of 2021.

coronavirus_mask_hungary_street_budapest
Read alsoLife expectancy has fallen dramatically in Hungary

How many people will live in Hungary in 2050?

budapest

Hungary’s population is falling. It is estimated that by 2050, the population will be only 8.5 million, compared to 8.8 million in a more optimistic scenario.

Fewer and fewer Hungarians

As we wrote earlier, there were fewer children born than people who died in Hungary in October 2022. This trend has been in place for a long time, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker.

On Monday, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences held a mini-conference on statistics and futurology. Csaba G. Tóth, former senior research fellow at the Population Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), spoke at the conference, writes 444.hu.

Tóth and his research colleague Csilla Obádovics calculated how many people will be living in Hungary in 2050. They also looked at the age structure of the population and how the data for each region will develop.

forint euro bills
Read alsoHungarian currency: will EUR/HUF be 450 or 350 sooner?

Not a forecast, but a calculation

At the beginning, Csaba G. Tóth and Csilla Obádovics stated that they are statisticians. They don’t make forecasts, they do different calculations and on the basis of these, they draw up scenarios.

The total population decreased by six percent between 1990 and 2019. The seven Hungarian regions were divided into four groups. In Northern Hungary, Southern Transdanubia and Southern Great Plain, the population decline is between 10 and 15 percent. In the researchers’ baseline model, the population will fall to 8.5 million by 2050. This represents a 13 percent reduction compared to 2020, double the reduction of the last 30 years.

In a high fertility scenario, the population would be 8.8 million in less than 30 years, and 8.2 million without migration, 24.hu reports.

“It’s almost impossible to reverse that, and I put it very mildly at the time,” Tóth said. The weight loss is unstoppable, the only thing you can do is slow it down.

The Hungarian elderly are one of the oldest societies in the region. This will fundamentally determine population trends in the coming decades. The 110,000 births per year needed to maintain the population is an impossible category, experts say.

Budapest Hungary people citizen street competitiveness eu
Read alsoCensus in Hungary: where have 400 thousand Hungarians gone?

Census in Hungary: where have 400 thousand Hungarians gone?

Budapest Hungary people citizen street competitiveness eu

The latest census in Hungary has been completed by the deadline by 4.6 million households and 9.2 million individuals, or 96 percent of the estimated population, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Tuesday.

Questionnaires were filled out electronically in person and online between October 1 and 19, the KSH noted in a statement, in what was the last traditional census in Hungary.

Fully 7 million individual questionnaires were returned from 3.2 million households online in three weeks — an outstandingly short period of time in international comparison, it said.

For the first time in Hungary, the census was carried out fully electronically, while missing data was filled in from state databases.

Data for the next census will be supplied from administrative sources, KSH said.

Preliminary data will be published in the first quarter of 2023, while detailed data is scheduled to be released in the autumn. Decision-makers, researchers and economists will make use of the data, while market researchers and statisticians will also have access to the results for compiling indicators such as GDP per capita, income or consumption.

The results will also provide important information about local supply, service and infrastructure needs, as well as aiding businesses to plan their activities with greater certainty.

Where could almost 400 thousand Hungarians have mysteriously disappeared to?

According to Népszava, the KSH could have received data on up to 9.3 million citizens, while the population is 9.68 million.

Where could almost 400 thousand Hungarians have mysteriously disappeared to? The difference could simply be due to the fact that so many people did not fill in the questionnaire, but the paper’s sources say there could be another reason.

Many people may already be living abroad, and have no home in Hungary, so were not included in the census in the first place, or even if they do have a property in Hungary, they did not receive the census invitation.

But other oddities have also emerged: several enumerators have confirmed that parents have entered the details of their children working abroad, meaning that the actual shortfall may be even greater.

As we wrote on Monday, deaths exceed births in October, details HERE.

coronavirus_mask_hungary_street_budapest
Read alsoLife expectancy has fallen dramatically in Hungary

Very bad news for Hungarians: Deaths exceed births in October

baby cry

Preliminary data show that 7,361 children were born and 10,808 people died in October 2022, with the number of live births decreasing by 3.9 percent and deaths by 8.3 percent in November 2021-October 2022 compared with the same period a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Monday.

The natural population loss was 3,447 in October this year as against 3,501 in October 2021, KSH said.

In October 2022, 4,712 couples tied the knot, down 11 percent from October 2021.

In the past 12 months, 88,834 children were born, down 3.9 percent from the same period of last year, while 144,169 people died, 8.3 percent fewer than in the previous year.

The natural population loss came to 55,335 compared with 64,720 in the same period of last year, a drop of 12 percent.

Between November 2021 and October 2022, 66,260 couples were married, 6.4 percent fewer than in the previous year. The number of marriages decreased by 9.0% in January–October this year, within which 10% less marriages were registered in January–April, 11% less in June–October and 3.6% more in May than in the same months of 2021.

There were 9.2 live births and 14.9 deaths per thousand population. The rate of live births was 0.3 per mille point and that of deaths 1.3 per mille points lower than in November 2020–October 2021, as a result of which the rate of natural decrease was down by 0.9 per mille point to 5.7 per mille. The number of infant deaths was 3.4 per thousand live births, 0.1 per mille point larger than in the previous twelve months.

As we wrote earlier, Hungary is one of the countries in Europe where the average life expectancy of people has fallen the most, details HERE.

maternity baby mother pregnant
Read alsoNew abortion rule in Hungary: the mother giving up her baby must listen to the baby’s heartbeat

Hungarian Village Programme helps population growth of small villages

Falu Town Village Város

The government scheme for developing villages has led to the reversal of population declines in 1,200 localities, a government official said on Thursday in Felgyő, Csongrád-Csanád County, in southern Hungary.

Alpár Gyopáros, opening a renovated school as part of the government’s Hungarian Villages programme, said locals had testified to the demographic turnabout in the villages concerned. He said it was necessary to understand why local populations had shrunk and why young people had left the villages in order to provide solutions for reversing that trend.

The programme’s measures include providing financial support for families, developing secondary roads, rescuing local shops, and developing municipal public services linked to building renovations, while ensuring schools, kindergartens and medical clinics continue to be located in villages.

baltic council days of international education
Read alsoThousands of visitors at biggest foreign education fair in Budapest

No COVID, fewer babies in Hungary

Family children

Preliminary data show that 7,673 children were born and 10,016 people died in September 2022, while the number of live births fell by 2.6 percent in the October 2021-September 2022 period year on year, and deaths decreased by 8.1 percent, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Friday.

In the past 12 months, 89,724 children were born, down 2.6 percent from the same period of last year, while 144,998 people died, 8.1 percent fewer than in the previous year. The natural population loss came to 55,274 compared with 65,682 in the same period of last year, a drop of 16 percent. Between October 2021 and September 2022, 66,840 couples were married, 7.2 percent fewer than in the previous year.

coronavirus_mask_hungary_street_budapest
Read alsoLife expectancy has fallen dramatically in Hungary