Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Hungary at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
35%
of electricity
Food imported
7%
of merchandise imports · ~US$11,223m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Hungary.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Hungary, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
A one in five risk of early death
In 2021 a 30 year old in Hungary had a 21.7% chance of dying before 70 from heart disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic lung disease, almost double the EU figure of 12.1%.
SoberingFood
A quarter of adults are obese
In 2019, 24.5% of adults in Hungary were obese, compared with 16.5% across the EU.
SoberingHealth
Almost a third of adults use tobacco
In 2022, 31.3% of adults in Hungary used tobacco, against 26.4% across the EU.
RemarkableCulture
Dance houses that teach folk culture
The táncház, or dance house, method teaches Hungarian folk dance and music in an informal setting. UNESCO selected it in 2011 as a model of good practice for passing on living heritage.
Source: UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Táncház method · 2011
RemarkableCulture
Kodály's way of keeping folk music alive
The composer and teacher Zoltán Kodály devised a way to bring folk music into schools and everyday life. UNESCO selected the Kodály concept as a good safeguarding practice in 2016.
RemarkableCulture
Masked men chase winter out of Mohács
At the Busó festivities in Mohács, men in wooden masks and woolly cloaks arrive by rowing boat on the Danube and burn a coffin that stands for winter. UNESCO inscribed the carnival in 2009.
RemarkableCulture
Embroidery from one town's community
Matyó embroidery, with its floral motifs, comes from the Matyó community in and around Mezőkövesd in north eastern Hungary. UNESCO inscribed it in 2012.
The History of Hungary.
Hungary sustains a vivid folk tradition, from the csardas couple dance to a living village music culture championed by 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, inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as a masked end-of-winter carnival custom, originated with the town's Croatian minority.
Where the name comes from
Magyarország in Hungarian, 'land of the Magyars'. When the Magyars reached eastern Europe in the early 800s they were a union of ten tribes, and took the Turkic name on ogur, 'ten tribes'. Through Old Slavonic this became the medieval Latin (h)ungarus, the root of 'Hungary', according to Den Store Danske, the Danish national encyclopedia.
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
Four hundred thousand years
Vertesszolos, Hungary's oldest archaeological site at some 400,000 years, has yielded millions of stone tools, hearths, children's milk teeth and an occipital bone from an early human of the Heidelberg type. Much later, the first farming villages took shape under influences from South West Asia that reached the region through the Balkans, growing cereals, raising sheep, goats and cattle and fishing the rivers of the Great Plain.
How it got here
Conquest, kingdom, uprising
Hungarian tribes from the east conquered the Carpathian Basin between 895 and 907, and a kingdom was established in 1000 under Stephen I, who is credited with bringing Christianity to the tribes. A national uprising against Soviet control broke out in October 1956 and was crushed when Soviet tanks poured into Budapest on 4 November.
The timeline
c. 300,000 years ago
Vertesszolos.
An occipital bone known as Samu was found here with fragments of children's teeth, a hearth, stone tools and animal bones. On some findings it is about 300,000 years old, and the people who lived here hunted, made stone tools and used fire. Source
Early Neolithic
Farming villages.
The first farming communities, shaped by influences from South West Asia that arrived through the Balkans, grow cereals and raise sheep, goats and cattle, and also fish the rivers of the Great Plain. Source
895 to 907
The Magyar settlement.
Hungarian tribes from the east conquer the Carpathian Basin between 895 and 907. Source
1000
The kingdom.
Stephen I becomes Hungary's founding king and rules from 1000 to 1038. He is credited with bringing Christianity to the country's nomadic tribes. Source
1526 to 1918
Ottomans and Habsburgs.
The medieval kingdom is conquered by the Ottoman Turks in 1526 and liberated by the Austrian Empire in 1699. Hungary then has an uneasy relationship with the Habsburg monarchy, gains wide control of its internal affairs under the Compromise of 1867, and declares independence from Austria on 17 October 1918. Source
1956
The uprising.
A national uprising against Soviet control breaks out in October 1956. On 4 November Soviet tanks pour into Budapest to crush it. Source
Hungarian National Museum, Budapest · Hungarian Natural History Museum · BBC News, Hungary celebrates its own millennium (2000) · BBC On This Day, 1956 Soviet troops overrun Hungary · Hungarian National Museum, Vertesszolos Archaeological Site · Archaeofauna, Early Neolithic Fishing in the Middle Tisza Region, Hungary, Archaeofauna · Scientific Reports, Maternal Genetic Ancestry and Legacy of 10th Century AD Hungarians
Nature and Biodiversity in Hungary.
Protected areas cover 22.3% of the land (World Bank, 2025) 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 area22.3%
76 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Found only here. Great bustard on the Hortobagy, native Hungarian grey cattle and Racka sheep, and rich migratory birdlife, with endemism low as across Europe
The watchlist
ThreatenedCommon Hamster (Cricetus cricetus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedVanellus gregarius Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedAnguilla anguilla Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (fish).
ThreatenedEuropean Souslik (Spermophilus citellus) Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedOryctolagus cuniculus Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Common Hamster (Cricetus cricetus)
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.
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.
Who is putting it back
National park in Great Plain and North, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Great Plain and North, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Great Plain and North, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Great Plain and North, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Transdanubia, mapped and named in the open record for Hungary. OpenStreetMap.
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, but 96% of its freshwater resources originate outside its borders, which the OECD says poses water security risks. About 97.2% 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, 1 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 8.1% of what Hungary renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Hungary? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
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.
Food and Drink in Hungary.
Hungary is a farming country, with more than half its land in agriculture and about 45 per cent of it arable. The concern is dietary rather than supply. In 2019 almost a quarter of adults were obese, against about one in six across the EU.
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
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%
Dr Péter Kempler, head of the Hungarian Diabetes Association, said in September 2018 that nerve damage from diabetes leads to leg amputations for around 10 diabetics in Hungary every day, which is roughly 3,650 a year. In April 2023 the health site Pénzcentrum repeated that on average 10 amputations are carried out every day in Hungary. No more recent official national count was found. Source: Semmelweis University.
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, but 96% of its freshwater resources originate outside its borders, which the OECD says poses water security risks. About 97.2% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. 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.
What actually grows here
MaizeWheatBarleySunflower seedsSugar beetsRapeseedApplesGrapes
The food that already fits
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.
Buy where residents buy. In Budapest the Great Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) at Vámház körút 1-3, by Fővám tér, sells groceries downstairs and gifts upstairs. A guide updated in October 2026 gives its hours as Monday to Friday 06:00 to 18:00, Saturday 06:00 to 16:00 and Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, closed on public holidays, though one of the operator's own pages still lists Sunday as closed. For a neighbourhood market, try the Rákóczi tér hall in District VIII, the Lehel market hall or the Fény utca market. Buying at the stalls puts the money in the hands of the traders rather than a supermarket chain.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Napfényes Vegan Restaurant, vegan restaurant in Budapest: plant based Hungarian dishes such as bean soup, seitan roast and stuffed cabbage, plus pizza and cakes; Vega City, vegan restaurant near the National Museum, Budapest: weekly changing soups and mains, with gluten free and soy free options; Vegan Garden, food truck court in the Jewish quarter, Budapest: mushroom burgers, seitan kebabs, chilli and dairy free cakes; Vegan Love, burger bar in Buda and Pest: plant based burgers, sandwiches and kebab plates; Naspolya Nassolda, café in Budapest: raw, gluten free sweet and savoury snacks and seasonal cakes; Govinda, Indian restaurants at three Budapest addresses: lacto vegetarian and vegan dishes. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Hungary?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
PaprikaRoot vegetablesCabbageBeansStuffed peppers
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Semmelweis University, Dr Péter Kempler was elected president of the Neuropathy Study Group of the EASD · Pénzcentrum, Több mint 700 ezer magyar nem tudhat a betegségéről (24 April 2023) · Just Budapest, The top 6+1 vegan restaurants in Budapest · Hungary Unlocked, Great Market Hall, Budapest: groceries downstairs, gifts upstairs, and a short Sunday (updated 3 October 2026) · World Bank, Agricultural land (% of land area), Hungary · World Bank, Arable land (% of land area), Hungary · Eurostat, Body mass index by sex, age and educational attainment (hlth_ehis_bm1e)
Climate and Energy in Hungary.
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%
MAVIR, the Hungarian Independent Transmission Operator, owns the 3,821 km national transmission grid and 17 transmission substations and runs the power system. It was set up inside the MVM Group in 2006 and has worked under the EU independent transmission operator model since 2012, which keeps system operation separate from market players. Local distribution is split between operators: the MVM Group runs about 55,822 km of distribution lines, including the former DÉMÁSZ and ÉMÁSZ areas, and E.ON Hungary runs the ELMŰ network. MVM has also held a direct 25 per cent stake in E.ON Hungary since December 2021. In August 2026, with low Danube levels limiting cooling at the Paks nuclear plant, a government decree let MAVIR order large users of 0.5 MW or more to cut demand in a crisis and have them disconnected if they refuse.
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
8.77 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, but 96% of its freshwater resources originate outside its borders, which the OECD says poses water security risks. About 97.2% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.74%
2Industry Winter household wood and waste burning drives seasonal smog, and heavy industry towns have poorer air.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.16
4On the record 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.
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.
Firsts on climate finance. Hungary issued its first green bond in June 2020, a 15 year, 1.5 billion euro eurobond. Later in 2020 it placed a yen Samurai bond of which a third was green, and the Budapest Times reports that this made Hungary the first foreign sovereign to enter the Japanese yen green bond market. In November 2022 the debt agency sold a further 1 billion euro green eurobond, more than four times oversubscribed.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · MVM Group, Transmission system operation · MVM Group, Company presentation (December 2024) · MVM Group, MVM acquires 25% direct stake in E.ON Hungary · Infostart, Hatályba lépett a renitens nagyfogyasztók lekapcsolását lehetővé tevő rendelet (1 August 2026) · Budapest Business Journal, Hungary issues EUR 1 bln green eurobond · Budapest Times, Hungary's green samurai bond issue wins special award
AI and Data Centres in Hungary.
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.
Economy and Tourism in Hungary.
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 play2
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 published3
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-grown4
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 away5
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.
split6
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 $1007
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 export8
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 exports9
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 CO210
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$271bnGDPUS$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.
Visiting Hungary, whoever you are.
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.
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
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.
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.
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
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.
See the verified makersCulture in Hungary.
At weddings, community events, folk dance events and on stage.
Csardas
A couple dance in which several pairs dance in a circle, improvising within set rules to a string band. UNESCO inscribed it as intangible heritage in 2024.
Tanchaz (dance-house) folk-music revival
A way of teaching folk dance and music in which anyone can learn by watching and copying tradition bearers, usually to live music. UNESCO selected it as a model of good practice in 2011.
Six days in late February, at the end of winter.
Buso masked festivities of Mohacs
Men in wooden masks and woolly cloaks cross the Danube by rowing boat, march through Mohacs and burn a coffin that stands for winter.
Matyo embroideryFloral embroidery of the Matyo community in and around Mezokovesd in north-eastern Hungary, inscribed by UNESCO in 2012.
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, inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as a masked end-of-winter carnival custom, originated with the town's Croatian minority. 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, and Hungarian law recognises 13 national minorities rather than any indigenous people, while 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.
The Future of Hungary.
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.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 20.8% to 22.8% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 0.64% to 19.1% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 6.04 t to 4.46 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 39,240k to 31,641k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 23.2% to 22.3% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 7.75% to 4.11% across 30 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 68.8% to 55.5% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 62.6% to 70.7% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 25.5 µg/m³ to 13.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 581 m³ to 625 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 49.5% to 62.2% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 4,509 to 25,907 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 10,329k to 9,514k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 5.4% to 15.3% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 2,503 kg to 2,521 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 23.2% to 22.3% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 69.8 yrs to 76.7 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 4,064 kg/ha to 5,630 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 76.6 kg/ha to 118 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 37.4% to 29.3% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 12.6 $/m3 to 33.7 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 6.77% to 6.37% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 18,675 km2 to 20,874 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 3,067 kWh to 4,825 kWh across 30 recorded years.
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, wildlife at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
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.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
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.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift plant-based eating
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Hungary's record. 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.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Hungary.
Who is in charge of Hungary now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Péter Magyar
Prime Minister
Péter Magyar is the head of government of Hungary, in office since 22 June 2026. 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 scores 57.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 58.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 48.1 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 48.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 74.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 76.2 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 62.2 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 62.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 60.0 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 61.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Péter MagyarPrime Minister
National Assembly (Országgyülés)Legislature, unicameral
Last election12 April 2026
Constitution2011, as revised to 2016
Government typeparliamentary republic
Hungary national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About Hungary.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
Swipe
Is Hungary sustainable?
Hungary scores 68 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. Hungary is a major arable farming nation sitting on the thermal aquifers of the Pannonian Basin, with safely managed drinking water for the whole population 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, but 96% of its freshwater resources originate outside its borders, which the OECD says poses water security risks. About 97.2% 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 22.3% of the land (World Bank, 2025) 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, and Hungarian law recognises 13 national minorities rather than any indigenous people, while 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, inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as a masked end-of-winter carnival custom, originated with the town's Croatian minority. 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.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · World Bank, Population, total, Hungary · CIA World Factbook, Hungary (factbook.json mirror) · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas, Hungary · World Bank, Renewable electricity output, Hungary · World Bank, CO2 emissions per capita excluding LULUCF, Hungary · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases, Hungary · UNESCO, Tanchaz method
How Hungary Ranks, region and world.
Where Hungary sits on the Eco Index, against its Europe neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Hungary compare in Europe?
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Portugal75
Scored Europe destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Hungary sits 25 of 77 at 68/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Hungary particularly good at?
✓ Water, scored 5/5. Hungary sits on the Danube and Tisza, holds Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, and rests on vast thermal and karst aquifers, but 96% of its freshwater resources originate outside its borders, which the OECD says poses water security risks. About 97.2% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank, 2020) and tap water is safe to drink.
✓ 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 22.3% of the land (World Bank, 2025) through ten national parks and the EU Natura 2000 network, with reasonable enforcement. Hungary is landlocked, so marine protection does not apply.
Where does Hungary score worst?
✕ 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.
✕ 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.
✕ Plant-based eating, scored 3/5. 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.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Wildlife, 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.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Hungary's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Natural fibres, 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.
Plant-based eating, 3/5
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.
The Hungary Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Hungary, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Hungary
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
22.8
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
22.3
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
19.1
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
4.5
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
76 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
48.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
62.0 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
62.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
74.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
57.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
54.8 / 100 · 33 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 33 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
54.7 / 100 · 31 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 31 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
53.3 / 100 · 50 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 50 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
43.2 / 100 · 75 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 75 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
73.9 / 100 · 55 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 55 of 177 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. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. 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
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. 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
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 78 sources across 31 institutions
World Bank17 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area, AG.LND.FRST.ZS), 2022. check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area, ER.LND.PTLD.ZS), 2024. check
- safely managed drinking water (SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS), 2020. check
- Threatened species (mammals EN.MAM.THRD.NO, birds EN.BIR.THRD.NO, fish EN.FSH.THRD.NO, higher plants EN.HPT.THRD.NO), 2022 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS, 1980 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
IUCN Red List14 FIGURES
- Cricetus cricetus (Common Hamster), assessment 2020, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- Cricetus cricetus (Common Hamster), assessment 2020 corroboration check
- Cricetus cricetus (Common Hamster), assessment 2020 corroboration check
- Vanellus gregarius (Sociable Lapwing), assessment 2018, published 2019, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- Vanellus gregarius (Sociable Lapwing), assessment 2018, published 2019 corroboration check
- Vanellus gregarius (Sociable Lapwing), assessment 2018, published 2019 corroboration check
- Anguilla anguilla (European Eel), assessment 2018, Critically check
- Anguilla anguilla (European Eel), assessment 2018 corroboration check
- Anguilla anguilla (European Eel), assessment 2018 corroboration check
- Spermophilus citellus (European Ground Squirrel), assessment 2023, published 2024, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Hungary in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- Spermophilus citellus (European Ground Squirrel), assessment 2023, published 2024 corroboration check
- Spermophilus citellus (European Ground Squirrel), assessment 2023, published 2024 corroboration check
- Spermophilus citellus (European Ground Squirrel), assessment 2023, published 2024 corroboration check
- Anguilla anguilla (European eel), Critically Endangered check
Eurostat5 FIGURES
- municipal waste recycling rate, 2022. check
- Share of energy from renewable sources, 2023. check
- UN SDG Global Database, electronic waste recycled (%) EN_EWT_RCYR, Hungary, 2018 (83.5%), country-reported check
- recycling rate of municipal waste (cei_wm011) check
- municipal waste by treatment operation (env_wasmun) check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- government expenditure on education as % of GDP (XGDP.FSGOV), Hungary 2022, Public spending on education runs at 3.8% of GDP and 7.8% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- government expenditure on education as % of GDP (XGDP.FSGOV), Hungary 2022 corroboration check
- government expenditure on education as % of GDP (XGDP.FSGOV), Hungary 2022 corroboration check
- government expenditure on education as % of GDP (XGDP.FSGOV), Hungary 2022 corroboration check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Hungary, 2025 (22.9%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Hungary, 2025 (100.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Hungary, 2025 (42.5%), country-reported check
Hungarian Tourism Agency (VisitHungary)3 FIGURES
Other published sources3 FIGURES
- Least Concern in Europe and the EU (European Red List of Hoverflies, 2022); Not Evaluated globally check
- Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List (IUCN checklist as published July 2026); a widespread common European plant check
- Least Concern in Europe and the EU (European Red List of Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts); Not Evaluated globally check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC2 FIGURES
FAO2 FIGURES
Hungarian National Museum2 FIGURES
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage2 FIGURES
- Hungary (Buso festivities of Mohacs; tanchaz safeguarding method). check
- Táncház method: a Hungarian model for the transmission of intangible cultural heritage (Register of Good Safeguarding Practices, 2011), The tanchaz (dance-house) revival, recognised by UNESCO as a model of safeguarding, keeps folk dance and music check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
13 national minorities recognised in law: Bulgarian1 FIGURE
- Greek, Croatian, Polish, German, Armenian, Roma, Romanian, Ruthenian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovene, Ukrainian (Act CLXXIX of 2011, Annex 1) check
96% of freshwater resources originate abroad1 FIGURE
- a water security risk (OECD, January 2026) check
About 3201 FIGURE
- 000 years old per the Hungarian National Museum, which holds the specimen; travertine dated to about 315 ka check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Hungary 2011 (rev. 2016) check
European Commission1 FIGURE
- Single Use Plastics Directive, in force 2021. check
European Environment Agency1 FIGURE
- Hungary renewable energy sources, 2025. check
European Environment Agency and Eurostat1 FIGURE
- share of agricultural area under organic farming, 2022. check
Hungarian Academy of Sciences1 FIGURE
- national research institution for Hungary check
Hungarian Central Statistical Office1 FIGURE
- national statistical authority for Hungary check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Hungary, 2023 (18.3%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Hungary elections and chambers check
IQAir1 FIGURE
- World Air Quality Report, Hungary PM2.5, 2023. check
IUCN1 FIGURE
- Red List Categories and Criteria Version 3.1, second edition, Section IV The Categories, Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Hungary. check
Kormany.hu1 FIGURE
- Miniszterelnök check
Low Carbon Power (Ember data)1 FIGURE
- Hungary electricity mix, 2025. check
Masked end-of-winter carnival custom in late February1 FIGURE
- Croatian minority origin (UNESCO Representative List, 2009) check
Our World in Data (Global Carbon Project)1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita, 2024. check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check