Hungary population pyramid 2026
9,585,818 people in 2026 (projected). Hungary’s pyramid carries the echo of the Ratkó-era baby boom of the mid-1950s, and deaths first outnumbered births in 1981, among the earliest in Europe.
- 2026 population
- 9.6Mrank 98 of 237
- Median age
- 44.2 yearsoldest rank 29
- Fertility rate
- 1.50births per woman · below replacement
- Structure
- Older21.3% age 65+
Hungary population pyramid
2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex
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The UN series provides historical estimates through 2023. Figures from 2024 onward—including 2026—are medium-scenario projections, not counts or predictions guaranteed to occur.
Hungary age distribution in 2026
Children under 15 account for 14.3% of the population, while 21.3% are aged 65 or older. The remaining 64.4% are in the conventional working-age range of 15–64. On these shares, the site classifies Hungary’s age structure as older; the guide to constrictive population pyramids explains what that shape implies.
The total age dependency ratio is 55.4: about 55 people under 15 or 65+ for every 100 people aged 15–64 (22.3 children and 33.1 older people). This is an age-balance indicator, not a literal count of economic dependants per worker.
What shapes Hungary’s population pyramid
The Ratkó generation and its echoes
The sharpest bulge in Hungary’s 2026 pyramid is at ages 70–74, about 20% larger than the bands around it. These people were born in 1952–56, when the government under health minister Anna Ratkó banned abortion and taxed childlessness. Births jumped, and when the policy was relaxed in 1956 they fell back just as quickly. The children of this generation, born in 1972–76, form a second bulge at ages 50–54, a rise also often linked to family allowances introduced from the late 1960s, and together with the 45–49 band they are now the largest in the country.
Between the two sits a notch at ages 60–64, about 12% smaller than its neighbours. These cohorts were born in 1962–66, when Hungarian fertility was among the lowest in Europe. Further up, a much older scar is visible in the early pyramids: in 1950 the 30–34 band, born during and just after the First World War, was about a third narrower than the bands beside it, and the same cohort formed a notch at 55–59 in 1975.
Natural decline since 1981
Hungary’s population peaked at about 10.7 million in 1980, and deaths first exceeded births the following year, well before most of Europe. Fertility was already close to 2 children per woman by 1960 and fell to about 1.3 in 2000 and 2010. It has since recovered to about 1.5, a rise that coincided with generous family support measures in the 2010s, but this is still well below the replacement level. Between 2000 and 2023 about 2.2 million births were recorded against 3.2 million deaths; net immigration of roughly 400,000 offset less than half of that gap. In 2026 the 0–4 band is narrower than any band up to age 69, a classic constrictive pyramid.
A wide gap between the sexes in old age
Women in Hungary live about six years longer than men, and the top of the pyramid is markedly lopsided: there are about 69 men per 100 women at ages 70–74 and only about 51 at 80–84. The overall sex ratio is about 93, even though males outnumber females in every band under 55.
Under the medium scenario the population falls to about 8.7 million in 2050 and 7.5 million in 2100, while the median age rises from about 44 to 47. In 2026 Hungary’s age structure is closest to those of Czechia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Serbia.
What to notice across the years
Distinctive cohorts and turning points
Comparing each five-year band with its neighbours picks out the cohorts that break a smooth slope. These irregularities usually record past surges or deficits in births, or migration concentrated at particular ages; the pattern alone does not identify which. The guide to baby booms and echo cohorts explains how to date and interpret them.
| Age band in 2026 | Born about | Feature | Versus neighbouring bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70–74 | 1952–1956 | Bulge (larger cohort) | +20% |
| 60–64 | 1962–1966 | Notch (smaller cohort) | −12% |
Deaths have exceeded births every year since 1981. People aged 65 and older came to outnumber children under 15 between 2005 and 2010.
Births, deaths, and migration
A pyramid changes in only three ways: births add to the base, deaths remove people at every age, and migration adds or removes people mainly in young adulthood. In 2026, Hungary is projected to record 83,010 births (about 227 births a day) and 128,367 deaths, a natural decrease of 45,357. Net migration adds +12,936 people, ranking #63 in the net migration rate ranking.
Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates 2,248,151 births, 3,170,290 deaths, and cumulative net migration of +409,306. Over that period the balance of births and deaths moved the total more than migration did. See how migration shapes a pyramid and birth rate versus fertility rate. The medium scenario assumes net migration of +331,870 between 2026 and 2050.
Annual values 1950–2100; dashed lines after 2023 are the UN medium projection. The trend table below lists the values by decade.
Life expectancy and mortality
- Life expectancy, women
- 80.6 years64.3 in 1950
- Life expectancy, men
- 74.3 years59.9 in 1950
- Further years at 65
- 17.6 yearsboth sexes
- Infant mortality
- 2.7per 1,000 births · 85 in 1950
- Under-five mortality
- 3.3per 1,000 births
- Mother’s mean age at birth
- 30.2 yearssex ratio at birth 106.0
Women in Hungary are projected to live 6.3 years longer than men, which is why the female side of the pyramid widens relative to the other at older ages (see the life expectancy gap ranking). Infant mortality has fallen from 85 to 2.7 deaths per 1,000 live births since 1950, ranking #207 of 237 in the infant mortality ranking (highest first). A mean age at childbearing of 30.2 years sets the spacing between generations, and so how far apart echo cohorts sit in the pyramid.
Median age, fertility rate, and global ranks for Hungary
The median age of 44.2 years splits the population into two equal halves. A total fertility rate of 1.50 births per woman is below the replacement level of roughly 2.1, and life expectancy at birth is 77.5 years.
These ranks compare all 237 countries and areas in this dataset using the same 2026 UN medium projection. Ranks use the stored source precision, so displayed rounding can make adjacent values look identical; small differences should not be overinterpreted.
| Indicator | 2026 value | Global rank | Ranking direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 9,585,818 | #98 | Largest first |
| Median age | 44.2 years | #29 | Oldest first |
| Fertility rate | 1.50 | #167 | Highest first |
| Annual growth | -0.3% | #197 | Fastest first |
| Life expectancy | 77.5 years | #94 | Highest first |
| Population aged 65+ | 21.3% | #35 | Highest share first |
Largest age groups in Hungary
The five largest cohorts identify where the 2026 population is concentrated. They can reflect past birth patterns, survival, and migration; the chart alone does not establish which cause dominates.
| Rank | Age group | Population | Share of total | Male / female |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50–54 | 790,420 | 8.2% | 395.9K / 394.5K |
| 2 | 45–49 | 776,928 | 8.1% | 391.8K / 385.1K |
| 3 | 55–59 | 669,850 | 7.0% | 327.9K / 341.9K |
| 4 | 40–44 | 626,997 | 6.5% | 319.7K / 307.3K |
| 5 | 35–39 | 624,885 | 6.5% | 323.1K / 301.8K |
Sex ratio and the balance by age
In the 2026 projection, Hungary has 4,609,970 males and 4,975,848 females. That is 92.6 males per 100 females, ranking #201 when the dataset is ordered from the highest male-to-female ratio to the lowest.
Males account for 48.1% of the population and females for 51.9%. There are 365,878 more females than males overall. Among people aged 65 and older, the ratio is 62.9 males per 100 females.
The overall balance can conceal large differences by age; how sex ratios change with age explains the usual pattern. The ratio reflects the male/female categories in the UN source and is not a measure of gender identity. Compare all profiles in the sex-ratio ranking.
At birth, 106.0 boys are projected to be born for every 100 girls in 2026, close to the biological norm of about 105 (compare the sex ratio at birth ranking). The ratio at birth sets the balance at the base of the pyramid; how it changes with age then depends on survival and migration.
How Hungary has changed since 1950
The population has increased from 9,337,880 in 1950 to 9,585,818 in 2026, a change of 3%. Over the same span, median age moved from 29.1 to 44.2 years.
The under-15 share changed from 24.9% to 14.3%, while the share aged 65 and older changed from 7.8% to 21.3%. These shifts show why total population growth and age-structure change need to be read separately.
How the population could change by 2050
Under the UN medium scenario, Hungary’s population is projected to decline by about 9%, reaching 8,725,347 in 2050. The median age changes from 44.2 to 45.4 years.
The 65+ share is projected to rise by 6.1 percentage points to 27.4%. At the same time, the under-15 share is projected at 13.8%. How UN projections work explains the assumptions behind these figures.
The annual UN series reaches its highest estimated population of 10,695,366 in 1980. Historical population totals are estimates rather than exact head counts. Compare timing across countries in the population peak ranking.
Population trend: 1950–2100
Mid-year population for every year. Estimates through 2023; dashed line shows the UN medium projection.
| Year | Population | Median age | Fertility | Life exp. | Births | Deaths | Net migration | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 9,337,880 | 29.1 | 2.61 | 62.1 | 196,308 | 106,596 | +1,217 | +1.0% |
| 1960 | 9,983,374 | 31.1 | 2.02 | 68.1 | 146,288 | 101,547 | −1,108 | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 10,315,143 | 33.1 | 1.98 | 69.2 | 151,076 | 120,265 | −96 | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 10,695,366 | 33.2 | 1.92 | 69.1 | 149,274 | 144,848 | −17,795 | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 10,381,281 | 35.3 | 1.86 | 69.4 | 124,904 | 146,110 | +16,991 | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 10,190,600 | 37.5 | 1.32 | 71.8 | 97,513 | 134,856 | +13,414 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 9,979,128 | 38.9 | 1.26 | 74.5 | 90,709 | 129,616 | +10,592 | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 9,749,456 | 42.5 | 1.58 | 75.7 | 93,065 | 140,532 | +9,147 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 9,686,464 | 43.3 | 1.49 | 77.0 | 85,373 | 128,063 | +49,213 | +0.1% |
| 2024* | 9,676,134 | 43.6 | 1.49 | 77.2 | 85,003 | 128,405 | +16,223 | -0.3% |
| 2026* | 9,585,818 | 44.2 | 1.50 | 77.5 | 83,010 | 128,367 | +12,936 | -0.3% |
| 2030* | 9,449,115 | 44.7 | 1.51 | 78.1 | 79,838 | 129,128 | +12,898 | -0.4% |
| 2040* | 9,067,617 | 45.9 | 1.54 | 79.7 | 79,180 | 129,743 | +13,148 | -0.4% |
| 2050* | 8,725,347 | 45.4 | 1.55 | 81.3 | 78,070 | 122,869 | +13,456 | -0.4% |
| 2060* | 8,397,581 | 45.5 | 1.57 | 82.8 | 72,419 | 120,866 | +12,884 | -0.4% |
| 2070* | 8,042,274 | 45.9 | 1.58 | 84.2 | 70,471 | 115,342 | +12,331 | -0.4% |
| 2080* | 7,784,774 | 45.8 | 1.59 | 85.5 | 69,679 | 101,500 | +11,677 | -0.3% |
| 2090* | 7,612,096 | 46.2 | 1.60 | 86.8 | 66,265 | 93,260 | +11,862 | -0.2% |
| 2100* | 7,460,742 | 47.0 | 1.59 | 88.0 | 63,708 | 90,245 | +10,512 | -0.2% |
* 2024 onward is the UN medium projection. Fertility is births per woman; life expectancy is years at birth; births, deaths, and net migration are counts for that calendar year.
Download every year, 1950–2100 (CSV)
2026 population by age and sex
The table provides the counts behind the chart. Age groups are five-year bands, with everyone aged 100 or older combined.
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 223,284 | 210,409 | 433,693 | 4.5% |
| 5–9 | 244,072 | 230,346 | 474,418 | 4.9% |
| 10–14 | 239,876 | 226,476 | 466,352 | 4.9% |
| 15–19 | 253,425 | 241,117 | 494,542 | 5.2% |
| 20–24 | 266,163 | 251,011 | 517,174 | 5.4% |
| 25–29 | 269,045 | 252,153 | 521,198 | 5.4% |
| 30–34 | 316,361 | 296,353 | 612,714 | 6.4% |
| 35–39 | 323,079 | 301,806 | 624,885 | 6.5% |
| 40–44 | 319,704 | 307,293 | 626,997 | 6.5% |
| 45–49 | 391,793 | 385,135 | 776,928 | 8.1% |
| 50–54 | 395,906 | 394,514 | 790,420 | 8.2% |
| 55–59 | 327,947 | 341,903 | 669,850 | 7.0% |
| 60–64 | 250,759 | 284,260 | 535,019 | 5.6% |
| 65–69 | 238,509 | 307,606 | 546,115 | 5.7% |
| 70–74 | 237,280 | 345,100 | 582,380 | 6.1% |
| 75–79 | 159,949 | 264,678 | 424,627 | 4.4% |
| 80–84 | 92,560 | 180,002 | 272,562 | 2.8% |
| 85–89 | 42,306 | 103,019 | 145,325 | 1.5% |
| 90–94 | 14,238 | 41,242 | 55,480 | 0.6% |
| 95–99 | 3,376 | 10,241 | 13,617 | 0.1% |
| 100+ | 338 | 1,183 | 1,521 | 0.0% |
Countries with the most similar age structure
These profiles have the 2026 age distributions closest to Hungary’s, measured by the total difference in the share of the population in each five-year band. Similar shapes can arise from very different histories, so the match is a starting point for comparison, not an explanation.
- Czechia97% overlap · median age 44.3
- Romania96% overlap · median age 43.5
- Bulgaria96% overlap · median age 45.0
- Slovenia96% overlap · median age 45.0
- Serbia96% overlap · median age 44.7
- Slovakia95% overlap · median age 42.8
To calculate school-age, working-age, or older groups with other boundaries, use the age-group calculator for Hungary.
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APA
World Population Pyramid. (2026, October 19). Hungary Population Pyramid 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hungary/
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“Hungary Population Pyramid 2026.” World Population Pyramid, 19 Oct. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hungary/.
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World Population Pyramid. “Hungary Population Pyramid 2026.” Last modified October 19, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/hungary/.
Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Hungary in 2026?
Under the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium scenario, Hungary's population in 2026 is projected at 9,585,818.
What is the median age in Hungary?
The projected median age in Hungary in 2026 is 44.2 years: half the population is younger and half is older.
What is the fertility rate in Hungary?
The projected total fertility rate in 2026 is 1.50 births per woman, below the replacement level of about 2.1 in low-mortality populations.
Is Hungary's population projected to grow?
Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario indicates the population will decline by about 9%, from 9.6M to 8.7M.
What share of Hungary is aged 65 or older?
In 2026, 21.3% of the projected population is aged 65 or older. By 2050, the medium scenario places the share at 27.4%.
How many babies are born in Hungary each year?
The UN medium scenario projects 83,010 births and 128,367 deaths in 2026, about 227 births a day. Deaths exceed births by 45,357.
What is life expectancy in Hungary for men and women?
Life expectancy at birth in 2026 is projected at 80.6 years for women and 74.3 years for men, a gap of 6.3 years in favour of women.
Does Hungary have more immigrants or emigrants?
Hungary is projected to gain about 12,936 more people through migration than it loses in 2026. Between 2000 and 2023 the UN estimates cumulative net migration of +409,306.
What is the sex ratio in Hungary?
The projected 2026 population sex ratio is 92.6 males per 100 females. This all-age ratio is different from the sex ratio at birth and can vary substantially by age.
Sources and notes
- United Nations, DESA, Population Division: World Population Prospects 2024, medium scenario.
- Population values are mid-year figures. Source values published in thousands are converted to people; displayed figures may imply more precision than is appropriate for planning.
- Historical values through 2023 are estimates. Values from 2024 onward are projections.
- Calculations follow the site methodology.