Hungary

In brief

Hungary is a country in Central Europe. Its capital is Budapest. With 9.5 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 96th in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 93,028 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.

GDP per capita stands at $25,907 (2025), 50th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 76.7 years (2024). 71% of the population lives in cities.

History of Hungary

The Magyars settled in the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9th century. Stephen I, crowned in the year 1000, founded a Christian kingdom. After defeat by the Ottomans at Mohács in 1526, the country gradually passed to the Habsburgs; the revolution of 1848 was crushed, and the Compromise of 1867 created Austria-Hungary. The Treaty of Trianon (1920) took away two thirds of its territory. The 1956 uprising against the USSR was put down; Hungary returned to democracy in 1989 and joined the European Union in 2004.

Geography of Hungary

Landlocked Hungary lies at the heart of the Pannonian plain: the Great Plain in the east and hills in the west. The Danube runs north to south through Budapest. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe; Kékes (1,014 m) is the highest point.

Map of Hungary

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Flag of Hungary

The flag of Hungary is red, white and green. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).

• Red33%
• White33%
• Green33%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Red, white and green, taken from the national coat of arms. They are traditionally read as strength, faithfulness and hope. The tricolour took hold during the revolution of 1848.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Hungary” and “Flag of Hungary”.

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Fact file

Economy and society