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The number of births dropped 4.8% year-on-year to 5,893, while deaths decreased 1.9% to 8,788.
The gap between births and deaths widened from 2,765 in September 2025. Natural population change measures the balance of births and deaths and excludes migration.
Marriages also fell sharply, with 5,148 couples marrying in September, down 18%, or 1,165, from a year earlier.
In January–September, 52,429 children were born, down 3.5%, or 1,922, from the same period of 2025. Deaths declined 2% to 90,614.
The resulting natural population decline reached 38,185, broadly unchanged from 38,139 a year earlier.
The estimated total fertility rate fell to 1.29 children per woman from 1.32 in January–September 2025. There were 34.9 live births per thousand women aged 15–49, down from 35.4 a year earlier.
Infant mortality rose to 3.7 deaths per thousand live births, compared with 3.3 in the corresponding period of 2025.
The number of marriages decreased 2.3% to 36,437 in the first nine months. Although marriages increased in January–March and June–July, declines in other periods outweighed those gains.
Births declined in Budapest and four regions during January–September, while increasing in three regions. The capital recorded the largest decrease, and the Northern Great Plain registered the largest increase.
Deaths fell in every region except the Northern Great Plain, with the steepest decline in Northern Hungary.
The rate of natural population decrease rose in half of the regions and fell in the other half. Budapest recorded the greatest increase, while Northern Hungary saw the largest improvement.
Marriages declined in Budapest and two regions but increased in five regions. The largest decrease was in the capital, while Northern Hungary recorded the strongest growth.
Between October 2025 and September 2026, Hungary registered 70,095 births, down 4.8% from the preceding 12 months. Deaths fell 2.9% to 122,317, resulting in a natural population decline of 52,222.
Over the same period, 45,728 couples married, up 0.2% from the previous 12 months.
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