Tragic: Number of Hungarians leaving the country at historic high
The number of people leaving Hungary is at a historic high. More than 33 thousand people left the country just in 2023, which is the highest number since the Orbán cabinet came to power in 2010. The number of Hungarians who left the country between 2010 and 2024 is 324 thousand. Most choose to live elsewhere because of work or studying and do not want to come home to get much lower salaries, education, etc.
Number of emigrants at historic high
The majority of the Hungarian citizens leaving Hungary and going mostly to work or study in Western Europe is one of the most pressing problems of our country lately. The Hungarian government cannot find a solution since wages are much below the German or British level. They try to promote Hungary as being very safe compared to Western Europe, “conquered” by illegal migrants, but that is chiefly political communication. Only a few people come back compared to the masses that left.
According to 444.hu, in 2023, 33,700 Hungarians left the country, which is the highest number since 2010. The news outlet added they could not find earlier data about the emigration from Hungary. The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) compiled its list of target countries and numbers based on the interior ministry’s address registry and the social insurance registry of the NEAK.
Lots of people decide to leave Hungary each year
The current number is a rounded, preliminary number. In the last 14 years, 324,179 Hungarians left the country. That is more than Debrecen’s and NyÃregyháza’s number of citizens. In 2010, only 7,318 left, which grew to 32,852 by 2015, fell to 19,322 in 2020 and increased to 33,700 in 2023.
Because of Brexit, the popularity of Great Britain decreased. The most popular destination has become Austria since 2019. In 2023, more Hungarians moved there than the entire number of emigrants in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
Between 2019 and 2021, the number of emigrants remained below the number of Hungarian nationals coming back to Hungary. That is probably because of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.
Demographic deficit is critically high
The balance of those leaving Hungary and moving back stands at minus 105,119. That is the population of Kecskemét.
Hungary has been struggling with its demographic deficit since the 1980s. The number of births is below the number of deaths, and that difference has grown considerably in the last few decades. There is no cure for that, and emigration only made it worse.
As a result, the Hungarian government plans to attract hundreds of thousands of guest workers who do not have a chance to gain Hungarian citizenship but cause lower wages and anxiety among the populace thanks to the Orbán cabinet’s anti-migration campaign.
The natural population decline was 42 thousand in Hungary in 2023. Emigration and natural decline stand at 75 thousand. Meanwhile, 22 thousand Hungarians came back with lots of guest workers.
Read also:
- Hungarian natural demographic decline highest in Europe – Read more HERE
- The 2022 census results are out: HERE are the most important details
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