Hungary

Economy & industry overview

Hungary is an upper-middle-income, open economy in Central Europe and a member of the European Union and OECD. Its industrial base is anchored by automotive manufacturing, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing, with a significant services sector. The economy rebounded with 2.2% real GDP growth in 2024 after a contraction in 2023, supported by recovering household consumption and large-scale foreign direct investment in electric vehicle battery production. Hungary's exports are highly concentrated in manufactured goods, particularly machinery, vehicles, and chemical products, with Germany and other EU countries as primary trading partners. Inflation, which spiked to among the highest in the EU in 2023, moderated significantly to around 3.8% HICP by 2024.

Key sectors

📘 Learn everything about Hungary →

Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$222.90B
GDP growth real, annual	2.2%
Inflation annual	3.8%
Population people	9.6M
GDP per capita USD	$16,525
Market cap total listed, USD	$66.00B
Market cap / GDP	29.6%
Unemployment	4.5%
Listed companies	156
Exchange	Budapest Stock Exchange (BSE)

Data year: 2024. Sources: World Bank – World Development Indicators (2024), IMF – World Economic Outlook Database (October 2024), Budapest Stock Exchange – Official Statistics (November 2025), CEIC Data – BSE Equity Market Capitalization (June 2026), European Commission – Economic Forecast for Hungary (Spring 2026), Wikipedia – Economy of Hungary, Macrotrends – Hungary Unemployment Rate, Fragomen – Hungary Guest Investor Residence Permit, Trading Economics – Hungary GDP, Unemployment, OECD Economic Surveys: Hungary 2024.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Budapest Stock Exchange
Code	BSE
Website	www.bse.hu
Currency	HUF

Local broker access

Foreign investors can access BSE-listed securities through international brokers offering access to European exchanges, including Interactive Brokers and certain European online brokers. Direct retail access via Hungarian domestic brokers such as Erste Bank Hungary or OTP Bank Brokerage is also available. BSE equities trade in Hungarian Forint (HUF), so currency risk applies for USD or EUR-based investors. Many major BSE-listed companies do not have US ADR programmes; trading occurs primarily on the BSE itself, though MOL Group is also listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Hungary uses the Hungarian Forint (HUF); it has not yet adopted the euro. Budapest offers a relatively low cost of living compared to Western European capitals. EU membership provides freedom of movement within the EU for Hungarian citizens. English proficiency is growing but Hungarian remains the primary language of business and government. Permanent residency applications (separate from the Guest Investor route) require passing a cultural knowledge test as of 2025.