Destinations › Europe · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Hungary.
Central Europe, northwest of Romania. 93,028 sq km and 9,514,251 people, landlocked, with no coastline at all, temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers.
Region · EuropePopulation · ~9,514,251Languages · Hungarian, with Romani, German and RomanianEco Index · 67/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of Hungary.
Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas and verbunkos dances to a living village music culture famously collected by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music in everyday practice, while the Buso festivities of Mohacs carry masked midwinter customs of ancestral origin.
Where the name comes from
Magyarország in Hungarian, 'land of the Magyars'. 'Hungary' comes through medieval Latin from Onogur, a Turkic name for a tribal federation. Source: national and regional toponymic records.
The land itself: flat to rolling plains, with hills and low mountains toward the Slovak border. Its high point is Kékes, 1,014 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Three hundred thousand years
An occipital bone found at Vertesszolos, with traces of tool use and fire, is around 350,000 years old and among the oldest human remains in central Europe. Cave sites in the Bukk hills hold Upper Palaeolithic tools and a bone flute fragment. Farming villages settled the Great Plain from around 5500 BC, and by about 4500 BC the Carpathian Basin was producing some of the earliest worked gold in Europe.
How it got here
Steppe, empire, uprising
Steppe and Celtic peoples held the basin before the west became the Roman province of Pannonia. Magyar tribes settled the Carpathian Basin around 895 and a kingdom was established in 1000. From 1526 the country was divided between Ottoman and Habsburg rule and later joined to Austria. A national uprising against Soviet control was suppressed in 1956.
The timeline
c. 350,000 years ago
Vertesszolos.
An occipital bone and the traces of tool use and fire, among the oldest human remains in central Europe. ↗
c. 30,000 years ago
Istallosko and the Bukk caves.
Cave sites in the northern hills hold Upper Palaeolithic tools and a bone flute fragment. ↗
c. 5500 BC
Farming villages.
Early farming communities settle the Great Plain and the Danube valley. ↗
c. 4500 BC
Tiszapolgar goldwork.
Some of the earliest worked gold in Europe appears in the Carpathian Basin. ↗
c. 800 BC to AD 400s
Scythians, Celts and Rome.
Steppe and Celtic peoples hold the basin before the west becomes the Roman province of Pannonia. ↗
c. 895
The Magyar settlement.
Magyar tribes cross the Carpathians and settle the basin around 895, arriving as horse archers from the steppe. The language they brought is not related to any of the languages that surround it today. ↗
1000
The kingdom.
Stephen I is crowned on 25 December 1000, founding a Christian kingdom of Hungary that would last, in one form or another, until 1918. The crowning turned a confederation of Magyar clans into a European state. ↗
1526 to 1918
Ottomans and Habsburgs.
The country is divided between Ottoman and Habsburg rule and later joined to Austria. ↗
1956
The uprising.
A national uprising against Soviet control in 1956 is suppressed by Soviet troops within weeks. The compromise that followed made Hungary the most liberal of the Eastern Bloc states. ↗
Hungarian National Museum, Budapest · Hungarian Natural History Museum · Institute of Archaeology, Hungarian Research Network
Nature and Biodiversity in Hungary.
Protected areas cover 22.6% of the land (World Bank, 2024) through ten national parks and the EU Natura 2000 network, with reasonable enforcement. Hungary is landlocked, so marine protection does not apply.
Is wild Hungary protected? 22.3% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Hungary?
Forest cover22.5%
Terrestrial protected area22.6%
76 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Hungary. GBIF holds 23 verified occurrence records.
Vanellus gregarius
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Hungary. GBIF holds 9 verified occurrence records.
Merodon clavipes
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Hungary. GBIF holds 2 verified occurrence records.
Anguilla anguilla
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Hungary. GBIF holds 10 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Hungary filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
National park in Great Plain and North, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Hungary.
Hungary sits on the Danube and Tisza, holds Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and rests on vast thermal and karst aquifers, so its own freshwater is secure. About 92.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
Does Hungary have enough fresh water? Under pressure
100% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: The karst springs of the Aggtelek and Bukk hills
How much fresh water does Hungary have, per person?
625 m³
Hungary
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Hungary withdraws about 4,695 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 8.1% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 11%, homes and towns 13%, industry 76%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
Which beaches in Hungary are named on the open map?
Named on the open map: Feketeszakáll Kalandpark és Strand, Apáca strand, Dudás beach, Muhi strand, Nagy strand, Nudista strand, Pozsonyi strand, Szabad strand. That is 8 named beaches in the public record for Hungary, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
91.7%
of people have safely managed sanitation
91.7% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
Is the tap water safe in Hungary?
100% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 625 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 8 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 78.2% of what Hungary renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is past the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply is being pushed towards its limit.
When is the best time to visit Hungary? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Hungary actually have?
Nature renews about 625 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Hungary 38 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 40 driest countries on Earth per person. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is below that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient. The concern is dietary rather than supply, as the cuisine leans heavily on meat.
Where does the food in Hungary come from?
7.0% imported
about US$11,223m a year
On the plate: Paprika, root vegetables, cabbage, beans and lentils in dishes such as lecso and stuffed peppers
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Lecso60%
Stuffed peppers51%
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$11,223m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 7% of everything Hungary imports (2025, World Bank). Farming itself is 2.7% of the economy and 55.7% of the land is agricultural, of which 45.4% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Hungary? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined78.8%
Diabetes8.3%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 62.2%.
Can Hungary feed itself?
45.4%
Arable land
55.7%
Agricultural land
203,065
Farmers
10,240,394
Arable acres
2.7%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Grape harvest from September to October and paprika harvest in autumn
Feeding itself
Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient. The concern is dietary rather than supply, as the cuisine leans heavily on meat.
Certification
About 6.3% of farmland is organic (Eurostat, 2022), a share that has more than doubled since 2012 and sits above the middle band.
Water for crops
Hungary sits on the Danube and Tisza, holds Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and rests on vast thermal and karst aquifers, so its own freshwater is secure. About 92.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for Hungary, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 55.7% of the country is agricultural land and 45.4% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Hungary are maize, wheat, sunflower seed, barley and sugar beet (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Hungary's electricity is largely low-carbon thanks to the Paks nuclear station, which supplies close to half of generation, while renewables reached about 19.5% of electricity in 2023 (Eurostat), led by fast-growing solar. Territorial CO2 emissions were around 4.1 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), below the EU average. Hungary legislated climate neutrality by 2050 in its 2020 Climate Protection Act and is not a fossil-fuel exporter. Coal and gas still feature in the mix, so the country sits in the moderate band rather than among the leaders.
What powers Hungary?
Renewable 35.3%Fossil 24.7%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
4.46 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
6.04 tonnes
The grid
Hungary's electricity is largely low-carbon thanks to the Paks nuclear station, which supplies close to half of generation, while renewables reached about 19.5% of electricity in 2023 (Eurostat), led by fast-growing solar. Territorial CO2 emissions were around 4.1 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), below the EU average.
Pollution
The PM2.5 annual mean is around 16 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), moderate but above WHO guidance and pushed up by winter wood and waste burning. The EU single use plastics ban has applied since 2021.
Water stress
Hungary sits on the Danube and Tisza, holds Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and rests on vast thermal and karst aquifers, so its own freshwater is secure. About 92.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.74%
2IndustryWinter household wood and waste burning drives seasonal smog, and heavy industry towns have poorer air.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.16
4On the recordThe PM2.5 annual mean is around 16 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), moderate but above WHO guidance and pushed up by winter wood and waste burning.
What has Hungary promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today19.1% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target22.3% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in law. Measured against it, 19.1% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 80.9% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year4.46 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.84 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy1.81 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy1.71 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.48 t CO2e
New York return, economy1.26 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Hungary emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Hungary.
Data centres
7
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
35.3 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Hungary?
Most of the power behind a machine here is still burned.
Renewable 35.3%Fossil 64.7%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 19.1% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Hungary has 7 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Budapest (6), Szombathely (1), alongside 1 internet exchange (BIX). Named sites include BIX Building (Victor Hugo street), Dataplex Budapest, 2Connect DC10, DoclerNet.
13% residents to 87% visitors across a year. 61,397,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 9,514,251 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Hungary
31,641k
Visitors a year
3.3
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Hungary?· for every $100 Hungary earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 1995 peak
$ 84The worst year on the IMF record. Hungary owed $84 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 1995signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 78What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 89The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $89 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Hungary earns in a year, it owes $78 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Hungary?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 61,397,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 9,514,251 residents, 6.5 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Hungary is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is only 7% of everything Hungary imports (2025, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, maize, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples, grapes, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown
4
The power
80.9% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away
5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split
6
Pay the bank first
Hungary owes $78 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$78 per $100
7
No plan B
26.1% of everything Hungary sells abroad is electrical machinery and electronics (2023, UN Comtrade). One market moving takes the whole board with it.
26.1% one export
8
Community chest
Tourism earns 3.4% of everything Hungary makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3.4% of exports
9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 2.84 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.84 t CO2
10
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$271 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$271bn
GDPUS$246.5bn
Agriculture, share of GDP2.7%
Visitors a year31,641,000
Visitors per resident3.3
Residents~9,514,251
Agriculture
Farming is 2.7% of the economy. Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient.
Natural materials
Hemp, flax and wool were historic mainstays, and folk textile crafts such as Matyo and Kalocsa embroidery and felt making are still practised, mostly now as heritage craft rather than everyday production.
Energy
Hungary's electricity is largely low-carbon thanks to the Paks nuclear station, which supplies close to half of generation, while renewables reached about 19.5% of electricity in 2023 (Eurostat), led by fast-growing solar. Territorial CO2 emissions were around 4.1 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), below the EU average.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Hungary?
By rooms · company records and press.
Hullam Villa · ~12 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
201548,345k
201652,890k
201754,962k
201857,667k
201961,397k
202031,641k
International tourism receipts run at about US$4.22 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3.4% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, maize, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples and grapes, over an imported menu. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use A dense rail network from Budapest, with metro, trams and trolleybuses in the capital
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is maize, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples and grapes. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Best time: Late spring and early autumn
Getting around
A dense rail network from Budapest, with metro, trams and trolleybuses in the capital
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is maize, wheat, barley, sunflower seeds, sugar beets, rapeseed, apples and grapes. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards widely accepted; HUF. Thermal baths are a national institution.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Hullam Villa
.
Who owns the place to stay
Hullam VillaIndependent · 12 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Hungary.
How well is Hungary actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Hungary scores 55 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Hungary run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 49 of 100
Control of corruption scores 48.7 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
49
Freedom and rights, scored 56 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 56.4 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
56
Government effectiveness, scored 61 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 61.1 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated above average.
61
Income equality, scored 31 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 30.6 (2017, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Below 40 is the level usually treated as manageable, and Hungary sits inside it.
31
LGBTQ+ status: MixedSolo female travel: Easy98.9% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Winter household wood and waste burning drives seasonal smog, and heavy industry towns have poorer air
What is daily life in Hungary really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around A dense rail network from Budapest, with metro, trams and trolleybuses in the capital
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 16. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest The Bukk and Aggtelek highlands of the north
✓Tap water Drinkable
✓What to drink Budapest tap water is safe; thermal towns often drink bottled.
✓Plastic rules Yes; the EU single use plastics ban has applied since July 2021
✓Sockets and voltage Type C/F, 230V
98.9%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 3.8% of GDP and 7.8% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 107.4% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022 to 2024).
Made in Hungary.
Hemp, flax and wool were historic mainstays, and folk textile crafts such as Matyo and Kalocsa embroidery and felt making are still practised, mostly now as heritage craft rather than everyday production. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Hungary actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Hungary sells the world is electrical machinery and electronics, 26.1% of all exports in 2023 (about US$41.42 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are vehicles at 17.5%, machinery and mechanical appliances at 15.0%, pharmaceuticals at 5.6%, plastics at 3.3%.
Sells now · 26.1% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 26.1% of everything Hungary sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$41.42 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 17.5% of exports
Vehicles
Vehicles is 17.5% of everything Hungary sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$27.77 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 15.0% of exports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Machinery and mechanical appliances is 15.0% of everything Hungary sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$23.79 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.6% of exports
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals is 5.6% of everything Hungary sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$8.82 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 3.3% of exports
Plastics
Plastics is 3.3% of everything Hungary sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$5.21 billion. UN Comtrade.
Could make · grown here already
Lecso
Grown in Hungary and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Stuffed peppers
Grown in Hungary and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Hungary produces about US$246 billion a year, which is roughly US$25,907 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 2.7% of that, while food is 7% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 45.4% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
Verbunkos dances
A living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
Tanchaz (dance-house) folk-music revival
A living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
Buso masked festivities of Mohacs
A living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
MatyoA living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
Kalocsa embroideryA living tradition of Hungary, still practised rather than archived.
Does Hungary protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas and verbunkos dances to a living village music culture famously collected by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music in everyday practice, while the Buso festivities of Mohacs carry masked midwinter customs of ancestral origin. Regional embroidery such as Matyo and Kalocsa work remains a living craft, and seasonal customs including Whitsun and regos traditions endure.
Who it belongs to. Hungary has deep folk heritage, from the UNESCO listed Paloc village of Holloko to living music and craft traditions, but there is no indigenous minority and tourism is largely urban and commercial. Rural and village tourism channels some benefit locally.
Only here. Lake Heviz, the largest thermal lake in the world warm enough to bathe in year round.
Three futures for Hungary, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest), Hungarian National Museum (Budapest), Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest), Hungarian Natural History Museum (Budapest), Ethnographic Museum (Budapest). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: 1001 fonal, A Kézművesbolt, Alkotás művészellátó, All Caps, Creamania, Depa Papírbolt.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
+8%
Forest cover
1995: 20.8 % → 2023: 22.4 %
+2873%
Renewable electricity
1995: 0.6 % → 2021: 19.1 %
-26%
CO2 per person
1995: 6.04 t → 2024: 4.46 t
-19%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 39240 k → 2020: 31641 k
-4%
Protected land
2013: 23.2 % → 2025: 22.3 %
-47%
Farm workforce
1995: 7.75 % → 2025: 4.11 %
-19%
Agricultural land
1995: 68.8 % → 2023: 55.7 %
+13%
Urban population
1995: 62.6 % → 2025: 70.7 %
-46%
Air pollution
1995: 25.5 µg/m³ → 2023: 13.7 µg/m³
+8%
Fresh water per person
1995: 580.9 m³ → 2022: 624.7 m³
+25%
Adult overweight
1995: 49.5 % → 2022: 62.2 %
+0%
Electricity access
1995: 100 % → 2024: 100 %
+475%
GDP per person
1995: 4509 → 2025: 25907
-8%
Population
1995: 10329 k → 2025: 9514 k
+183%
Renewable energy use
1995: 5.4 % → 2021: 15.3 %
+0%
Energy per person
1995: 2503 kg → 2024: 2514 kg
-4%
Protected area, total
2013: 23.2 % → 2025: 22.3 %
+10%
Life expectancy
1995: 69.8 yrs → 2024: 76.7 yrs
+39%
Cereal yield
1995: 4064 ha → 2024: 5630 ha
+17%
Fertiliser use
1995: 76.6 ha → 2023: 89.5 ha
-22%
Rural population
1995: 37.4 % → 2025: 29.3 %
+167%
Water productivity
1995: 12.7 $/m3 → 2022: 33.7 $/m3
-6%
Health spending
2000: 6.77 % → 2023: 6.37 %
+10%
Forest area
1995: 18675 km2 → 2023: 20486 km2
+57%
Electric power use
1995: 3067 kWh → 2024: 4812 kWh
-38%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 11.2 e → 2023: 6.9 e
-52%
Emissions: Building
1990: 17.8 e → 2023: 8.5 e
-59%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 23.5 e → 2023: 9.6 e
-43%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 70.3 e → 2023: 40.3 e
-39%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 5.03 e → 2023: 3.07 e
-62%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 14.1 e → 2023: 5.3 e
+61%
Emissions: Transportation
1990: 8.7 e → 2023: 14 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 20.8% to 22.4% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 0.6% to 19.1% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 6.0 t to 4.5 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 39240k to 31641k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 23.2% to 22.3% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 7.7% to 4.1% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 68.8% to 55.7% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 62.6% to 70.7% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 25.5 µg/m³ to 13.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 580.9 m³ to 624.7 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 49.5% to 62.2% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100.0% to 100.0% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 4509 to 25907 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 10329k to 9514k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 5.4% to 15.3% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 2503 kg to 2514 kg across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 23.2% to 22.3% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 69.79 yrs to 76.72 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 4064 kg/ha to 5630 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 76.6 kg/ha to 89.53 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 37.37% to 29.31% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 12.65 $/m3 to 33.73 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 6.77% to 6.37% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 18675 km2 to 20486 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 3067 kWh to 4812 kWh across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 11.18 to 6.88 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 17.83 to 8.51 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 23.48 to 9.58 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 70.29 to 40.31 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 5.03 to 3.07 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 14.08 to 5.29 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 8.67 to 13.96 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, natural fibres at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Hungary already shows it can do this: food and farming scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift natural fibres
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Hungary's record. Hemp, flax and wool were historic mainstays, and folk textile crafts such as Matyo and Kalocsa embroidery and felt making are still practised, mostly now as heritage craft rather than everyday production. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift wildlife
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Hungary's record. Wildlife highlights are the Hortobagy and Kiskunsag grasslands with great bustards and huge migratory birdlife, plus native Hungarian grey cattle and Racka sheep. As across most of Europe, endemism and large mammal diversity are low. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift culture
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Hungary's record. Hungary has deep folk heritage, from the UNESCO listed Paloc village of Holloko to living music and craft traditions, but there is no indigenous minority and tourism is largely urban and commercial. Rural and village tourism channels some benefit locally. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Hungary.
Who is in charge of Hungary now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Viktor Orban
Prime Minister
Viktor Orban is the head of government of Hungary, in office since 29 May 2010. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 56.4 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 48.7 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 73.3 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 60.3 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 60.1 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Viktor OrbanPrime Minister
National Assembly (Országgyülés)Legislature, unicameral
Next electionpresident: spring 2029 prime minister: April or May 2027
Last electionpresident: 26 February 2024 prime minister: 3 April 2022
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1949
Government typeparliamentary republic
Hungary national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
2050
Net zero
In Law
Net-zero target as recorded by Climate Watch. Status: In Law (5/14/2020) ↗
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is Hungary sustainable?
Hungary scores 67 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Hungary is a self sufficient farming nation sitting on some of the world's richest thermal aquifers, with safe tap water and fast growing solar power, offset by meat heavy food and modest wildlife.
Is the water in Hungary safe and plentiful?
Hungary sits on the Danube and Tisza, holds Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and rests on vast thermal and karst aquifers, so its own freshwater is secure. About 92.6% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
Can Hungary feed itself?
Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient. The concern is dietary rather than supply, as the cuisine leans heavily on meat.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Hungary?
Paprika, root vegetables, cabbage, beans and lentils feature in dishes such as lecso, and Budapest has a growing vegan scene, but traditional Hungarian food is firmly meat centred. Plant based eating is available but not the default.
How much of Hungary is actually protected?
Protected areas cover 22.6% of the land (World Bank, 2024) through ten national parks and the EU Natura 2000 network, with reasonable enforcement. Hungary is landlocked, so marine protection does not apply.
What wildlife is left in Hungary?
Wildlife highlights are the Hortobagy and Kiskunsag grasslands with great bustards and huge migratory birdlife, plus native Hungarian grey cattle and Racka sheep. As across most of Europe, endemism and large mammal diversity are low.
Is Hungary on clean energy?
Hungary's electricity is largely low-carbon thanks to the Paks nuclear station, which supplies close to half of generation, while renewables reached about 19.5% of electricity in 2023 (Eurostat), led by fast-growing solar. Territorial CO2 emissions were around 4.1 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), below the EU average. Hungary legislated climate neutrality by 2050 in its 2020 Climate Protection Act and is not a fossil-fuel exporter.
How polluted is Hungary?
The PM2.5 annual mean is around 16 micrograms per cubic metre (IQAir, 2023), moderate but above WHO guidance and pushed up by winter wood and waste burning. The EU single use plastics ban has applied since 2021.
Does recycling work in Hungary?
Hungary recycles about 33% of municipal waste (Eurostat, 2022), below the EU average of 49% and stagnant since around 2017.
Is the farming in Hungary organic?
About 6.3% of farmland is organic (Eurostat, 2022), a share that has more than doubled since 2012 and sits above the middle band.
Are there natural materials and craft in Hungary?
Hemp, flax and wool were historic mainstays, and folk textile crafts such as Matyo and Kalocsa embroidery and felt making are still practised, mostly now as heritage craft rather than everyday production.
Is there living culture in Hungary?
Hungary has deep folk heritage, from the UNESCO listed Paloc village of Holloko to living music and craft traditions, but there is no indigenous minority and tourism is largely urban and commercial. Rural and village tourism channels some benefit locally.
What heritage does Hungary keep alive?
Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas and verbunkos dances to a living village music culture famously collected by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music in everyday practice, while the Buso festivities of Mohacs carry masked midwinter customs of ancestral origin. Regional embroidery such as Matyo and Kalocsa work remains a living craft, and seasonal customs including Whitsun and regos traditions endure.
So is Hungary actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: renewable electricity at 19.1% against a 100% mark.
Hungary sits 46 of 77 at 67/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Hungary particularly good at?
✓Food and farming, scored 5/5. Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient. The concern is dietary rather than supply, as the cuisine leans heavily on meat.
✓Conservation, scored 4/5. Protected areas cover 22.6% of the land (World Bank, 2024) through ten national parks and the EU Natura 2000 network, with reasonable enforcement. Hungary is landlocked, so marine protection does not apply.
✓Heritage, scored 4/5. Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas and verbunkos dances to a living village music culture famously collected by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music in everyday practice, while the Buso festivities of Mohacs carry masked midwinter customs of ancestral origin. Regional embroidery such as Matyo and Kalocsa work remains a living craft, and seasonal customs including Whitsun and regos traditions endure. This is strong, actively practised heritage.
Where does Hungary score worst?
✕Recycling, scored 3/5. Hungary recycles about 33% of municipal waste (Eurostat, 2022), below the EU average of 49% and stagnant since around 2017.
✕Natural fibres, scored 2/5. Hemp, flax and wool were historic mainstays, and folk textile crafts such as Matyo and Kalocsa embroidery and felt making are still practised, mostly now as heritage craft rather than everyday production.
✕Wildlife, scored 2/5. Wildlife highlights are the Hortobagy and Kiskunsag grasslands with great bustards and huge migratory birdlife, plus native Hungarian grey cattle and Racka sheep. As across most of Europe, endemism and large mammal diversity are low.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
FranceScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.78
SwitzerlandScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.75
GermanyScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.75
United KingdomScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.65
MontenegroScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.63
SerbiaScored on the same twelve pillars as Hungary.58
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 3/5
Hungary's electricity is largely low-carbon thanks to the Paks nuclear station, which supplies close to half of generation, while renewables reached about 19.5% of electricity in 2023 (Eurostat), led by fast-growing solar. Territorial CO2 emissions were around 4.1 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), below the EU average.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Hungary's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 5/5
Hungary is a net food exporter with strong arable farming of wheat, maize, sunflower and paprika, making it highly self sufficient. The concern is dietary rather than supply, as the cuisine leans heavily on meat.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Hungary's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 4/5
Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas and verbunkos dances to a living village music culture famously collected by Bela Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly. The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music in everyday practice, while the Buso festivities of Mohacs carry masked midwinter customs of ancestral origin.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Hungary's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Hungary Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Hungary, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
61.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
60.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
73.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
56.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
59.8 / 100 · 31 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 31 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
73.2 / 100 · 10 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 10 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
66.9 / 100 · 26 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 26 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
93.3 / 100 · 9 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 9 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
75.0 / 100 · 48 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 48 of 180 countries assessed.
How Hungary Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
