In December alone, 6,339 children were born while 11,773 people passed away, resulting in a natural population decrease of 5,434. The figures represent a 4.1% drop in births and a 7.0% decline in deaths compared to the same month in 2023. Meanwhile, marriages also saw a significant downturn, with 25% fewer couples tying the knot than a year earlier.
Over the full year, 77,500 children were born in Hungary, marking a sharp 9.1% decline from 2023. Birth rates were consistently lower throughout the year, with the steepest drop of 14% recorded in the summer months of June to August. The country’s total fertility rate fell to an estimated 1.38 children per woman, down from 1.51 in the previous year.
At the same time, 127,500 people died in 2024, a marginal decrease of 0.5% compared to the previous year. While mortality rates fluctuated throughout the year, the overall number of deaths remained relatively stable. However, due to the steep decline in births, the natural decrease of the population surged by 16% year-on-year, reaching 50,000. This marks a further acceleration in Hungary’s long-term demographic challenges.
The number of marriages also continued to fall, with 46,550 couples getting married in 2024, a 7.2% drop from the previous year. While the first quarter of the year saw a temporary increase in weddings, the decline became more pronounced in the latter half of the year, particularly between June and December.
Hungary’s population decline was somewhat offset by international migration. The estimated resident population stood at 9.54 million at the end of 2024, based on updated census data. However, with birth rates continuing to fall and the fertility rate remaining well below replacement level, Hungary faces increasing demographic pressure in the years ahead.
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