Hungary
Everything Palanor holds about Hungary, in one place: 190 public signals, what its economy runs on, how often America’s largest companies name it, the news that names it, and Country Posture. Every figure is computed from stored readings and carries its source and date.
EuropeEuropean UnionOECD
The latest read
- GDP in current U.S. dollars: $246.5 billion (2025); record high since 1968; 1y +10.6%.
- Real GDP growth: 0.51% (2025); 21st percentile since 1961; 1y −0.2 pts.
- Consumer price inflation: 4.41% (2025); 33rd percentile since 1973; 1y +0.71 pts.
- Unemployment: 4.52% (2025); 24th percentile since 1991; highest since 2016; 1y +0.02 pts.
- Household consumption, share of GDP: 52.6% of GDP (2025); 41st percentile since 1991; highest since 2012; 1y +1.04 pts.
- Net exports, share of GDP: 4.48% of GDP (2025); 76th percentile since 1991; highest since 2017; 1y +0.01 pts.
Country Posture
What Hungary’s economy is doing
Momentum
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.590 below 0.60; AUC 0.590 below the single-input baseline (0.624); 2010–2022: AUC 0.595 below 0.60; AUC 0.595 below the single-input baseline (0.641).
Inputs
| Real GDP growth | 0.5 |
| Growth against its three-year average | -0.8 |
| Change in unemployment | 0.0 |
| Change in the employment rate | -0.1 |
| Export volume growth | — |
| OECD leading indicator | — |
Resilience
202541Moderate buffers
0 = thin buffers · 100 = deep buffers
Moved most by reserves, months of imports (up) since the year before.
Inputs
| Interest as a share of revenue (2024) | 12.2 | 26 |
| Budget balance (2024) | -4.5 | 39 |
| Reserves, months of imports | 3.5 | 47 |
| Current account | 1.7 | 76 |
| Governance (WGI mean) | 0.24 | 30 |
| External debt | — | — |
Pressure
2025Inputs only. Did not pass the pre-registered back-test: 1996–2009: AUC 0.657 below the single-input baseline (0.672).
Inputs
| Inflation | 4.4 |
| Change in inflation | 0.7 |
| Currency move against the dollar | -3.5% |
| Conflict deaths per million | 0.0 |
| Political stability | 0.51 |
| Private credit, three-year change (2024) | -6.0 |
| Bond spread over U.S. Treasuries | 2.6 |
Posture describes what an economy is doing; it is not a rating and never ranks countries. Each input is read against the country’s own history and against every other economy that year. An axis shows a score only after passing a back-test fixed before any result was computed. Method and back-test.
Country Schemas
Where Hungary is in its cycles
Where Hungary sits in eight long cycles, each read from published statistics against a method fixed before any reading was computed. A stage describes; it is not a rating, and no stage is better or worse than another.
- Development stage
High mass consumption82% · 2025
Pre-take-offTake-offDrive to maturityHigh mass consumption20002025
- Demographic stage
Declining95% · 2025
High stationaryEarly expandingLate expandingLow stationaryDeclining20002025
- Debt cycle stage
Early cycle39% · 2025
Early cycleLeveragingLate cycleDeleveraging20002025
- External balance stage
Debt repayer92% · 2025
Immature debtorMature debtorDebt repayerImmature creditorMature creditorCredit disinvestor20002025
- Export structure stage
Manufacturing exporter99% · 2025
Commodity-reliantDiversifyingManufacturing exporterComplex exporter20002025
- Structural pressure
Building61% · 2025
LowBuildingHighAcute20002025
- Middle-class stage
Withheld.
Pre-middle-classEmerging middle classMiddle-class majorityAffluent20002025
Withheld: too little of its evidence is published and fresh.
- Electoral cycle
Post-election99% · 2026-10
Post-electionMid-termPre-election2022-052026-10
Passport reach
Where a Hungary passport opens doors
The share of world GDP, outside Hungary itself, in the economies whose published rules let a holder of this passport in, as of October 2026. Palanor records the rules of destinations holding 88% of world GDP, from each government’s own list, and weights them by World Bank GDP for 2025. Rank is among 199 passports.
Work
22.7%rank 39 of 199
the right to work (free movement in full; treaty and working-holiday routes at half); 30 destinations in full, 4 at half.
Recorded changes
Investment migration programs
- Guest Investor Residence Permit (vendégbefektetői tartózkodási engedély, Act XC of 2023) residence · OpenGovernment minimum $280,899 for one person (agent fees excluded).
Reach is shown here and not weighted into Country Strength: it rewards membership of a free-movement area or a treaty more than the strength of an economy. Entry is always at the border officer’s discretion, and conditions (length of stay, fees, age limits) vary. Method, sources and the full ranking: Passports and citizenship.
Palanor calculation from each destination government's published rules; GDP weights from the World Bank (CC BY 4.0), one year for the whole line, so it moves only when a list changes.
GDP by expenditure
What Hungary’s economy runs on
In 2025, household spending was 52.5% of GDP, government consumption 20.8%, investment 22.1% and net exports +4.5% (exports 72.6%, imports 68.2%).
World Bank national accounts. The parts can miss 100 by a few points (the statistical discrepancy).
Same World Bank definition for every country, so the shares compare directly: What each economy runs on.
IMF World Economic Outlook
The IMF’s outlook for Hungary
The latest year before the October 2026 edition (often still an IMF estimate) and the IMF’s own projections. These are the IMF’s published forecasts, shown as published; Palanor does not project them further. Since the previous edition the IMF raised its growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points (Palanor calculation).
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 IMF f’cast | 2027 IMF f’cast | 2031 IMF f’cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real GDP growth% | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Inflation, average consumer prices% | 4.4 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
| Unemployment rate% of labor force | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
| GDP, current US dollarsUS$ bn | 247.1 | 265.9 | 278.3 | 337.5 |
| GDP at purchasing-power parityintl $ bn | 462.0 | 486.6 | 512.2 | 608.2 |
| GDP per person, US dollarsUS$ | 25,850 | 27,884 | 29,260 | 35,832 |
| Current account balance% of GDP | 1.7 | -0.5 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| Government gross debt% of GDP | 74.6 | 78.7 | 81.4 | 87.8 |
| Government net debt% of GDP | 63.6 | 67.8 | 70.5 | 76.9 |
| Government overall balance% of GDP | -4.7 | -7.3 | -6.2 | -5.4 |
| Government primary balance% of GDP | -1.4 | -3.8 | -3.2 | -2.1 |
| Government net interest paid% of GDP · Palanor calc. | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database (edition on the projection). Dashed: the IMF's published projection.
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook Database, October 2026. Provided by the IMF “as is” and free of charge from the IMF; the IMF does not endorse Palanor. Net interest paid is a Palanor calculation: the IMF's primary balance minus its overall balance.
Charts
The headline series
News
In the news
- EXCLUSIVE: Hungary considers replacing Russia's Rosatom in nuclear project reut.rs/3UJ71KZ
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-21neutral
- Hungary to cut the deficit below 5% of GDP in Magyar's first budget plan reut.rs/4BlpKNo
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-19positive · +deficit cut
- Hungary's Orban denies ordering Ukrainian cash and gold seized when leader reut.rs/4e3FBWE
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-13neutral
- In parched Hungary, forest workers and volunteers piled up terraces of logs and deadwood, hoping to catch any trickles of water that make it down the hillside when the rains finally come reut.rs/4zjr952
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-09neutral
- Luxury developers flocked to the 'Hamptons of Hungary' — but some projects are stalling
CNBC · Bluesky2026-10-07neutral
- Luxury developers flocked to the 'Hamptons of Hungary' — but some projects are stalling
Marketaux (financial news API)2026-10-07neutral
- Hungary government proposes wealth tax on ultra-rich reut.rs/4zhY9uz
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-06neutral
- Hungary to open Communist-era informer files in reckoning with Cold War past reut.rs/4hL9lc3
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-06negative · -war
- Hungary welcomes Ukraine's bill strengthening Hungarian minority rights reut.rs/4rIysR2
Reuters · Bluesky2026-10-02neutral
Headlines that name Hungary, matched by name with fixed rules (a wrong match is worse than a missing one). Tone is read from each headline’s own words; no model reads or summarizes an article, and other publishers’ stories link out.
Company graph
Companies headquartered in Hungary
Palanor’s company graph holds 108 entities headquartered here (GLEIF headquarters address, else legal address).
Signals
Every series about Hungary
Grouped by theme, the most-read first. All 190 in the Library.
Growth and output10 of 45
- Hungary · Real GDP Growth · % y/y21st percentile since 1961; 1y −0.2 pts0.51%2025
- Hungary · GDP · USD bn (current)record high since 1968; 1y +10.6%$246.5bn2025
- Hungary · Country Strength49th percentile since 1990; highest since 2021; 1y +3.9%45.7 index2025
- Hungary · GDP per Capita · PPP USDrecord high since 1990; 1y +2.7%49,838 usd2025
- Hungary · Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Value Added · % of GDPrecord low since 1995; 1y −0.0582 pts2.65% of GDP2025
- Hungary · GDP per Person · €record high since 1995; 1y +7.0%23,070 € per person2025
- Hungary · Industry (incl. Construction) Value Added · % of GDPrecord low since 1995; 1y −0.813 pts23% of GDP2025
- Hungary · Manufacturing Value Added · % of GDPrecord low since 1995; 1y −0.715 pts15.1% of GDP2025
- Hungary · Services Value Added · % of GDPrecord high since 1995; 1y +0.623 pts60.1% of GDP2025
- Hungary: GDP per Hour Worked at Purchasing-Power Parityrecord high since 1995; 1y +1.1%49.72025
Prices4 of 6
- Hungary Consumer Price Index (OECD)record high since Jan 2010; 1y +1.5%175.7 index2026-09-01
- Hungary Inflation Rate (CPI, % y/y, OECD)23rd percentile since Jan 2011; 1y −2.79 pts1.54% y/y2026-09-01
- Hungary Purchasing Power Since 2019 (100 = January 2019)record low since Jan 2019; 1y −1.5%60.72026-09-01
- Hungary · Inflation · CPI % y/y33rd percentile since 1973; 1y +0.71 pts4.41%2025
Jobs and people at work6 of 7
- Hungary · Unemployment Rate (OECD Harmonised, Monthly)33rd percentile since Jan 1996; highest since Jun 2020; 1y +0.4 pts4.7% of labour force2026-08-01
- Hungary Unemployment Rate (Monthly, Eurostat)38th percentile since Jan 2000; highest since Jun 2020; 1y +0.4 pts4.7%2026-08-01
- Average annual hours worked · Hungary7th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.0%1,670.7 hours2025
- Hungary · Female Labor Force Participation · %96th percentile since 1990; 1y −0.09 pts54.3%2025
- Hungary · Male Labor Force Participation · %93rd percentile since 1990; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.09 pts67.5%2025
- Hungary · Unemployment Rate · %24th percentile since 1991; highest since 2016; 1y +0.02 pts4.52%2025
Money, rates and credit2 of 3
- Hungary 10-Year Government Bond Yield (Monthly)30th percentile since Feb 1999; 1y −1.57 pts5.46%2026-08-01
- Magyar Nemzeti Bank Total Assets · % of Hungary GDP46th percentile since Jan 1998; highest since Jan 2025; 1y −0.53 pts33.2% of GDP2026-01-01
Stock market and listed companies2
- Hungary Share Prices (OECD, 2015 = 100)record high since Jan 1991; 1y +48.9%714.52026-09-01
- Hungary Share Prices, Change Over a Year (OECD)85th percentile since Jan 1992; highest since Apr 2026; 1y +10.67 pts48.9% y/y2026-09-01
Government and debt10 of 19
- Hungary · Budget Balance · % GDP (central govt)47th percentile since 1981; highest since 2019; 1y +2.07-4.46 pct_gdp2024
- Hungary · Interest · % of Revenue (central govt)81st percentile since 1981; highest since 2001; 1y +0.33 pts12.2%2024
- Hungary · Interest · % of Expense (central govt)37th percentile since 1981; highest since 2016; 1y +1.24 pts6.64%2022
- Hungary · Budget Balance · % GDP56th percentile since 1995; highest since 2019; 1y +0.48-4.66 pct_gdp2025
- Hungary · Government Debt · % GDP47th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2022; 1y −0.7%81.7 pct_gdp2025
- Hungary · Government Spending · % GDP18th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2019; 1y −0.1%47.3 pct_gdp2025
- Hungary · Net Interest · % GDP24th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2022; 1y −19.5%3.31 pct_gdp2025
- Hungary · Net Interest · % of Government Spending34th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2022; 1y −1.69 pts7.01%2025
- Hungary · Net Interest · USD bn (PPP)92nd percentile since 1995; lowest since 2022; 1y −17.2%$15.8bn2025
- Hungary · Primary Balance · % GDP35th percentile since 1995; 1y −0.33-1.35 pct_gdp2025
Trade and capital flows4 of 5
- Hungary · Current Account · % GDP88th percentile since 1982; 1y −10.3%1.65 pct_gdp2025
- Hungary · Tourism Intensity: Nights per Resident (annual)record high since 1993; 1y +4.5%3.472025
- Hungary · Net International Investment Position, % of GDP (IMF)95th percentile since 1995; 1y −8.13 pts-38% of GDP2025
- Hungary · International Tourist Arrivals17th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2003; 1y −48.5%31,641,000 arrivals2020
Energy and resources4 of 8
- Hungary · Business Electricity Price (incl. taxes) · € per kWh86th percentile since Jul 2007; highest since Jul 2024; 1y +1.7%0.27 € per kWh2026-01-01
- Hungary · Household Electricity Price (incl. taxes) · € per kWh54th percentile since Jul 2007; highest since Jan 2023; 1y +9.5%0.11 € per kWh2026-01-01
- Hungary · Wind and Solar Share of Electricity Generationrecord high since 2000; 1y +2.61 pts28.6% of generation2025
- Hungary · Electric Car Share of New Car Salesrecord high since 2015; 1y +2.00 pts14% of new car sales2025
Conflict and geopolitics4 of 10
- Hungary · Governance · WGI six-dimension meanrecord low since 1996; 1y −15.0%0.24 index2025
- Hungary · Political Stability · WGIrecord low since 1996; 1y −15.6%0.51 index2025
- Hungary · Regulatory Quality · WGIrecord low since 1996; 1y −19.3%0.26 index2025
- Hungary · Rule of Law · WGI6th percentile since 1996; 1y +6.9%0.22 index2025
Aid in and out2
- Hungary · Foreign Aid (Official Development Assistance) · US$ billions55th percentile since 2016; highest since 2022; 1y +59.5%0.3 US$ billions2025
- Hungary · ODA as % of GNI31st percentile since 2018; highest since 2022; 1y +0.05 pts0.14% of GNI2025
Migration4 of 6
- International Migrant Stock: Hungary (UN)record high since 1990689,565 people2024
- International Migrants as a Share of Population: Hungary (UN)record high since 19907.13% of population2024
- U.S.-Born People Living in Hungary (UN)record high since 199011,044 people2024
- Change in Migrant Share of Population Since 2000: Hungary (UN)4.212024
AI stance and technology6 of 8
- Hungary · R&D Spending per Person · € per inhabitant96th percentile since 1987; 1y −0.6%282.22024
- Hungary · R&D Spending · % of GDP67th percentile since 1995; lowest since 2017; 1y −0.07 pts1.31% of GDP2024
- AI User Share: Hungary (Microsoft AI Diffusion)1y +5.40 pts33.3% of people aged 15-642026-06-30
- AI Optimism Lean · Hungary (Pew)1y −4.90 pts30.4%2026
- More Concerned Than Excited About AI · Hungary (Pew)1y +6.00 pts39%2026
- More Excited Than Concerned About AI · Hungary (Pew)1y −1.00 pts17%2026
Climate and the physical world4 of 6
- Hungary · Arable Land · % of land2nd percentile since 1961; lowest since 2020; 1y −0.17 pts45.2% of land area2024
- Hungary · Renewable Freshwater · m³ per personrecord high since 1961; 1y +0.3%6252022
- Hungary · Forest Area · % of landrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.07 pts22.8%2024
- Hungary · PM2.5 Exposure · µg/m³record low since 1990; 1y −3.5%14 µg/m³2020
Health and living standards10 of 11
- Hungary · Life Expectancy at Birth · yearsrecord high since 1960; 1y +0.2%76.7 years2024
- Hungary · Access to Electricity · % of populationrecord high since 1990; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Hungary · Human Development Index · UNDPrecord high since 1990; 1y +0.3%0.87 index2023
- Hungary · Antidepressants: Daily Doses per 1,000 Peoplerecord high since 1995; 1y +6.4%33.42025
- Hungary · Anxiolytics (Anti-Anxiety Drugs): Daily Doses per 1,000 Peoplerecord low since 1995; 1y −1.9%20.72025
- Hungary · Basic Drinking Water Access · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Hungary · Safely Managed Drinking Water · % of populationrecord high since 2000; 1y unchanged100%2024
- Hungary · Undernourishment · % of populationrecord high since 2001; 1y unchanged2.5%2024
- Hungary · Poverty at National Lines · % of populationrecord low since 2004; 1y −0.5 pts12.1%2021
- Hungary · Never Physically Active Outside Work · % of people40.3% of people2025-12-31
Sentiment and attention1
- Hungary · Search Attention70th percentile since Sep 2021; 1y −16.7%20 index2026-09-20
More about this country1 of 17
- Hungary · Exchange Rate per US Dollar (IMF)92nd percentile since Jan 1968; 1y −7.9%314.1 per USD2026-08-01
Peers
Elsewhere in Europe
Alphabetical. Palanor does not rank countries.
AlbaniaAndorraAustriaBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCroatiaCzechiaDenmarkEstoniaFaroe IslandsFinlandFranceGermanyGibraltarGreeceGuernseyIcelandIrelandIsle of ManItalyJerseyKosovoLatviaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMoldovaMonacoMontenegroNetherlandsNorth MacedoniaNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussiaSan MarinoSerbiaSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited KingdomVatican City