Emigration

According to the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 350,000 Hungarians have moved abroad since 1989. The phenomenon of emigration has not been as significantly influenced by Hungary joining the EU in 2004, as by the first waves of the international economic crisis in 2008. As a consequence of the decreasing employment rate, an increasing number of Hungarian nationals decided to move abroad. 7.4% of Hungarians between the ages of 18-49 lived abroad in 2013 and their number has significantly increased, as evidenced by the 29,400 Hungarians who moved abroad in 2016. Main countries of interest are Germany, where the number of Hungarians is estimated to be around 124,000; the United Kingdom (74,500) and Austria (36,000). The latest emigration trends show that Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium have also become popular destination countries for Hungarian nationals. According to the data of the World Bank, Hungary received 4.5 billion USD in the form of remittances from the members of the diaspora in 2015, and with this result it takes the 29th place among the countries receiving the highest amount of remittances from abroad.

To address the increasing pace of emigration, the Hungarian Government launched a programme in 2015 (“Gyere haza fiatal”) to encourage the return of young Hungarians living in the UK. The programme was operational from 2015 to 2016 and offered Hungarians with a higher education degree job opportunities, housing assistance, and mobility grants to facilitate the travel of those interested in returning for job interviews and mentoring.