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The findings accompany the second Rural Entrepreneurs of the Year awards, with applications open until Sept. 25.
Businesses outside the capital account for almost two-thirds of Hungary’s micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and their combined revenue exceeds twice that of their Budapest counterparts, the analysis shows.
MSVK launched the awards and the Night of Rural Entrepreneurs in 2025 to give businesses operating outside Budapest greater national visibility and recognition. The inaugural competition attracted nearly 300 applications from 136 businesses across 110 municipalities.
According to Opten, SMEs outside Budapest employed 983,544 people in 2025, almost 27,000 more than in 2021.
For comparison, the Central Statistical Office recorded 4.675 million people in employment nationally in July 2026. The employment figure for SMEs outside the capital is equivalent to more than one-fifth of that total, although the figures refer to different periods.
These businesses provide local livelihoods, sustain supplier relationships and play a central role in the economies of many municipalities, the analysis notes.
Opten’s latest figures identify 297,017 SMEs outside Budapest, compared with 163,482 in the capital. Their combined net revenue approached HUF 38.9 trillion in 2025, against HUF 19 trillion for Budapest-based SMEs.
The sector’s activities extend well beyond agriculture. Trade accounts for 37.3% of revenue among SMEs outside the capital, followed by manufacturing at 16.7% and construction at 12.5%. Agriculture represents 6.1%.
Businesses outside Budapest also tend to have longer operating histories. Small enterprises have been operating for an average of 17.6 years and medium-sized companies for 18 years, compared with 15 and 14.2 years, respectively, in Budapest.
Family businesses account for 34.5% of enterprises outside the capital, compared with 23.1% in Budapest.
The analysis points to improving the competitiveness of Hungarian-owned SMEs, encouraging investment and digitalization, and supporting market entry as priorities in the country’s 2026 economic policy plans.
Given the geographic distribution of these businesses, it argues that measures supporting SMEs could have a substantial impact outside Budapest. Their effectiveness should therefore be assessed partly by whether they improve productivity, growth opportunities and the ability to sustain employment.
“We launched the competition last year to bring greater attention and recognition to businesses outside Budapest. The first year’s results showed how strong this entrepreneurial community is,” said Ida Petrik, founder and managing director of MSVK.
“This year, we want to draw even greater attention to their economic role. SMEs outside Budapest employ nearly 1 million people, generate substantial revenue, sustain local economic relationships and, in many cases, provide livelihoods across generations. Through the competition, we want to make these businesses and their pivotal role in the Hungarian economy more visible.”
Hajnalka Csorbai, Opten’s strategic and operational director and president of the Joint Venture Association (JVSZ), emphasized the broader importance of the sector.
“The employment weight of SMEs outside Budapest alone demonstrates that strengthening their competitiveness is in the national interest. The nearly 1 million people they employ are equivalent to more than one-fifth of all people employed in Hungary,” she said.
“The measures that can be truly effective are those that create a predictable operating environment, encourage investment and improve business productivity through digitalization, artificial intelligence and sustainable operations. This requires continuous, data-driven professional dialogue between policymakers and the business sector.”
The competition is open to micro-, small and medium-sized businesses registered in Hungary with no more than 250 employees. Applicants must either have their headquarters outside Budapest or operate at least one site outside the capital. Companies may enter more than one category.
The nine categories are Rural Entrepreneur of the Year, supported by Volkswagen; Young Rural Entrepreneur of the Year, supported by the Goodwill group; Dynamically Developing Rural Business of the Year; Responsible Rural Employer of the Year, supported by Thermal Hotel Visegrád****superior; Innovative Rural Business of the Year, supported by E.ON Energiamegoldások Kft.; Tradition-Preserving Rural Business of the Year; Multigenerational Rural Business of the Year; Sustainable Rural Business of the Year, supported by TORK; and Socially Responsible Rural Business of the Year, supported by Opten.
Additional honors include the Audience Award, the Media for Rural Entrepreneurs Award, and special awards for Rural E-Retailer of the Year and Rural Brand of the Year.
Applications must be submitted through videkivallalkozok.hu by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25.
Winners will be announced on Nov. 11 at Budapest’s Eiffel Art Studios during the second Night of Rural Entrepreneurs powered by Volkswagen. The gala dinner aims to recognize entrepreneurial achievements outside the capital while providing national business and media exposure.
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