2020, the Worst Ever Demographic Year in Hungary

The annual natural decrease of the Hungarian population (that is, the difference between the number of births and deaths) has never been as high as last year since the start of measuring it.

This has been found by hvg.hu after the publication of data by the country's Central Statistical Office this Thursday. Official figures suggest that 140,900 people died in 2020 while the number of children born that year was 92,233. It means a decrease of 48,667 people. The previous record was in the year of 1999 with a decrease of 48,565.

As for the January 2021 figures, 7,302 children were born and 12,916 people died according to preliminary data. The number of live births decreased by 9.8% and that of deaths rose by 9.6% compared to January 2020. 2,780 couples got married, which was 2.9% less compared to the same period of the previous year.

In terms of the trends of vital events, the number of births was 1.7%, that of deaths 11% and the number of marriages 0.8% higher in the last twelve months, i.e. between February 2020 and January 2021, compared to one year earlier.