Energy

The performance of the Hungarian economy in the 1st quarter of 2025 was identical with the same period of the previous year’s level. Increasing performance in the service sector as well as the growth in consumption had a positive impact on the GDP. The continuing setback of the industry and construction, a subdued investment activity, the deterioration in the balance of the external trade counterbalanced this trend. Regarding the labour market, employment rate – considering the 1st quarters’ values – was the highest ever, while the unemployment rate lessened.

The importance and popularity of solar electricity production grows year by year. It made up already one-third of all electricity produced in Hungary in June 2024. The capacity of solar power systems per inhabitant was the highest in Southern Great Plain, in districts around Lake Balaton and in agglomerations of large towns at the end of 2023. By contrast, it was the lowest in districts of the capital city, in less developed areas along the national boundary as well as in the inner periphery of the Central Tisza Region.

The yearbook provides an overview of Hungary's demographic, social and economic processes, environmental characteristics and their changes over time, with the help of tens of thousands of data of 500 tables, graphs and maps. Innovatively, the Tourism, catering chapter in the volume includes the gross receipts of tourist accommodation establishments by type of accommodation. Another change is that this year the Regional data chapter already presents territorial data by tourism area, giving greater emphasis to tourist destinations.

Hungary’s energy needs were lower each month from April 2022 than a year earlier, and decreased at rates higher than 10% from September 2022 to March 2023 – except for February. The use fell by 16% this March, partly owing to the lower industrial output then than in the same month of the previous year and to the milder-than-usual weather. Energy consumption was 15% lower in the first three months of 2023 as a whole than in the corresponding period of 2022.