Demographics of Hungary

Demographic features of the population of Hungary include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects. Hungary has a rich cultural history and a diverse population that has evolved over many centuries. Understanding these demographic details helps us learn about the people who live there and how they share their traditions, languages, and ways of life. This information is important for learning about the country's past, present, and future. By studying these aspects, we can appreciate the unique character of Hungary and its place in the world today.

Population

Hungary's population has been slowly getting smaller since 1980. In the past, big events like wars and diseases changed how many people lived there. Today, most people in Hungary are ethnically Hungarian and speak Hungarian.

Population density in Hungary by district.

Note: The data refer to the territory of the Kingdom of Hungary, and not that of the present-day republic.

Demographics of Kingdom of Hungary, (1910 Census)

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1784	2,681,595	—
1870	5,011,310	+0.73%
1880	5,329,191	+0.62%
1890	6,009,351	+1.21%
1900	6,854,415	+1.32%
1910	7,612,114	+1.05%
1920	7,986,875	+0.48%
1930	8,685,109	+0.84%
1941	9,316,074	+0.64%
1949	9,204,799	−0.15%
1960	9,961,044	+0.72%
1970	10,300,996	+0.34%
1980	10,709,463	+0.39%
1990	10,374,823	−0.32%
2001	10,200,298	−0.15%
2011	9,937,628	−0.26%
2022	9,610,403	−0.30%
2026	9,489,000	−0.32%
Note: Only present territory of Hungary

Population of Hungary over time with estimated percentages of ethnic Hungarians within Hungary
Date	Estimated Population	Estimated Percentages of Hungarian people, with and without Inclusion of the Kingdom of Croatia
c. 900 AD	250,000–350,000 500,000–600,000 600,000 1,000,000–1,500,000	66%
1000	1,000,000–1,500,000
1060	500,000–550,000
1100	2,000,000
1181	2,600,000
1200	1,000,000–1,100,000
1222	2,000,000	70–80%
1242	1,020,000–1,220,000 1,200,000
1300	1,400,000–1,600,000 2,000,000 3,000,000
1348	5,000,000 3,000,000
1370	c. 2,000,000	60–70% (including Croatia)
1400	3,000,000–3,500,000 3,000,000
1490	5,000,000 4,500,000–5,000,000 4,000,000–4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000–4,000,000 3,400,000	90% 80–85% 80% 77% 75–80%
1600	4,000,000–4,500,000 3,500,000
1699	4,000,000 3,500,000–4,000,000 3,500,000	50–55% 50%
1711	4,000,000 2,500,000	53% 45%
1720	4,000,000–4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 2,600,000–4,000,000	55% 45% 44% 40% 35%
1785-87	8,000,000
1790	9,000,000 8,500,000 8,100,000–8,200,000	40% 39% 35%
1828	11,495,536
1830		37% (44 percent in central Hungary)
1837		44% 37% (with Kingdom of Croatia)
1846	12,033,399	40–45% 41.6% 36.5–40% (with Kingdom of Croatia)
1850	11,600,000	41.4%
1857	13,830,870	44.5%
1869	13,508,000	45.2%
1880	13,749,603	46%
1900	16,838,255	51.4%
1910	18,264,533	54.4% 48.1% (with Kingdom of Croatia)

Demographic changes in pre-Trianon Hungary (1867–1914)

Population and ethnic composition (1869–1910)

Population of Hungary (1910–2009, with comments)

Kniezsa's view of the ethnic map of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 11th century, based on place names, is often cited even though many scholars have criticized it. An estimated ethnic map of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1495 was created by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences using family names from old records. Another map from 1784 shows how the ethnic groups in Hungary changed over time due to wars and movements of people.

The 1910 census in the Kingdom of Hungary recorded that about 54.4% of people spoke Hungarian as their first language. This included many Jewish people, who mostly spoke Hungarian but sometimes said their first language was German.