Hungary's Population Continues to Decrease

In February 2022, 6,068 children were born and 12,256 people died according to preliminary data published by the Central Statistical Office. In the last twelve months, between March 2021 and February 2022, the number of births diminished by 0.5%, while that of deaths increased by 7.6% and the number of marriages by 6.5% compared to the period 12 months earlier.

In February 2022:
A total of 6,068 children were born, 15% less or 1,093 fewer than a year earlier. The explanation may be that a part of females may have delayed having children because of the presumed side effects of the coronavirus vaccination.

12,256 people lost their lives, 3.3% or 391 more than in February 2021. The increase was owing to last year’s low base value between the second and third waves of the pandemic. This year’s value was 0.7% lower compared to February 2019, the corresponding month in the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

The natural decrease was 6,188 as opposed to 4,704 in February 2021.

3,520 couples got married, which was 14% less or 572 fewer than in February 2021.

Between March 2021 and February 2022:
91,192 children were born in the last twelve months, 484 fewer or 0.5% less than in the previous 12 months.

The total fertility rate was estimated at 1.56 per female, compared with 1.55 in the previous 12 months.

There were 154,657 deaths, 7.6% or 10,919 more than in the period 12 months earlier.

The number of births decreased and that of deaths grew, the natural decrease was 63,465, which was a rise of 22% compared to the value of 52,062 in the previous 12 months.

70,886 couples got married, which was 6.5% or 4,308 more than a year earlier.

There were 9.4 live births and 15.9 deaths per thousand population. The rate of live births was nearly the same as and that of deaths 1.2 per mille points higher than in March 2020–February 2021, as a result of which the rate of natural decrease was up by 1.2 per mille points to 6.5 per mille. The number of infant deaths was 3.4 per thousand live births, 0.1 per mille point lower than in the previous 12 months. The marriage rate was 7.3 per mille, 0.5 per mille point higher than in the period 12 months earlier.