Hungarian population decreases by 333 thousand in 11 years

According to the preliminary data of the 2022 census, Hungary’s population has further declined over the past decade. Since 2011, the previous census, the country’s population has sunk by 333 thousand and stands at 9.6 million – 1.1 million less than in its peak in 1980.

Despite the decline in Hungary’s population, Magyar Nemzet’s László Szentesi Zöldi is optimistic about the country’s demographic trends.  The conservative columnist finds it reassuring that the fertility rate has increased slightly since 2011, although it is still well below the 2.1 reproduction rate necessary to maintain a stable population level. Szentesi Zöldi is also confident that many of the Hungarian emigrants who moved abroad to work, as well as ethnic Hungarians living in the neighboring countries, will settle back in Hungary. Szentesi also suggests that Hungary has experienced a much lighter demographic decline than other Central-East European countries that have also been hit by massive waves of emigration.

Tags: census, demography, population