Communications Industry Revenue Up in Hungary in 2025

Turnover in the Hungarian media and communications market grew by 6.2% last year to reach HUF 758.7 billion, but in real terms it still lags 4.5% behind the 2019 level, Péter Novák, president of the Hungarian Advertising Association (MRSZ), said at the sector’s annual review conference in Budapest.

The sector grew despite the country’s near-stagnant economic performance; a slight increase in household consumption had a positive impact on the industry’s economic performance, and the private sector remained the driving force behind the communications market’s growth last year as well. The rise in media prices also contributed to this expansion, and the impact of the 2026 elections was also evident in certain media types, he noted.

The years following the pandemic have been extremely turbulent; in addition to global industry trends, the domestic economic environment also presented challenges, while market players have been forced to confront the challenges of artificial intelligence, the MRSZ president said.

Media spending rose by 8.4 percent last year to HUF 416 billion, representing a 4% increase in real terms and a 2.2% increase compared to 2019 levels. Within the media sector, digital media spending accounted for 55.7 %, with nearly half (48 %) of last year’s growth coming from global players. Within total media spending, 19.6% of advertising spending went to domestic digital content providers, while 35% went to digital platforms.

The non-media spending market grew by 3.7% last year to HUF 343 billion, which falls short of the 8% growth rate seen over the past five years (2020–2024). In real terms, the segment lagged behind 2024 by 0.7% and 2019 by nearly 12%, Péter Novák explained.

In real terms, only two areas expanded: marketing research and data-driven marketing by 5% and 4%, respectively, while creative, media, event and PR services all declined in real terms.