About Hungary

Hungarian Economy

Hungarian economy is considered a high-income mixed economy by OECD standards, with a skilled labor force and a heavy emphasis on foreign trade. The current GDP per capita is $15,372. Major industries include food processing, pharmaceuticals, motor vehicles, information technology, chemicals, metallurgy, and tourism. Famous for its many inventions – from the ballpoint pen to the Rubik’s Cube – Hungary has one of the highest rates of filed patents, ranking 35th among 131 economies featured in the Global Innovation Index for 2020. Over the past 20 years Hungary has become a major center for mobile technology and information security, and continues to be one of the leading nations in Central and Eastern Europe for attracting foreign direct investment.

Higher education in Hungary

Hungarian education system is largely public, allowing opportunity for all. About 90% of children attend public schools. Participation in education is mandatory up until the age of 16, however, studies are financed until the age of 18. Education system can be divided into pre-primary, primary, secondary, higher and adult education and training.
Higher education is available to anyone who has obtained a secondary education degree eiher in Hungary or abroad. They are open to everyone who meets the entrance requirements and has all necessary documents. There are 65 higher education institutions in Hungary, 28 of them statefunded, 11 privately-funded and 26 church-funded. They range from small colleges to top research universities, which have produced more than a dozen Nobel laureates over the years.

Working in Hungary

EU citizens have the right to seek work in Hungary without the need for a work permit. They are treated the same way as Hungarian residents in terms of access to the employment market, working conditions and social and tax advantages. Non-EU citizens normally have to obtain a work permit, however, they are similarly eligible to get lawful employment within the country upon obtaining a degree in Hungary. Most higher education institutions in Hungary have their own careers offices where students can obtain information regarding available jobs through their databases, as well as receive career advice and guidance through different programmes for job-seeking students.

Natural treasures of Hungary

For a country of less than 100,000 km2 Hungary packs in a surprising variety on its flat plains. Hungary’s ‘mountains’ are actually hills, which seldom exceed an elevation of 1,000 metres. Hungary is home to more than two thousand flowering plant species, many of which are not normally found at this latitude. There are a lot of common European animals here (deer, wild hare, boar, otter) as well as some rare species (wild cat, lake bat, Pannonian lizard). Hungary is heaven for birdwatchers, since three quarters of the country’s 450 vertebrates are birds, often dwelling by the rivers, lakes and wetlands. Along with the largest freshwater Balaton Lake, Hungary is home to the second largest thermal lake in the world (Lake Hévíz) and the largest natural grassland in Europe (Hortobágy). In total, there are 10 national parks, 145 minor nature reserves, and 35 landscape protection areas.

Hungry for history and culture?

If the great outdoors aren’t your cup of tea, Hungary has plenty to offer to art and history buffs. Budapest, its capital city, is considered one of Europe’s top destinations among tourists. It is both city and county, and home to over a third of Hungarian population. The central area of Budapest along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has several notable monuments, including the Hungarian Parliament (third largest parliament building in the world) and the Buda Castle. One can learn a lot about history of Europe simply tracing the history of Budapest – from the early Celtic settlements, through the Revolution of 1956, the Fall of the Iron Curtain to the present day. There are eight bridges connecting Buda and Pest, two parts of the city, each with interesting features and stories to tell. Despite its relatively small size, Hungary is home to numerous World Heritage Sites: the ancient cemetery of Pécs, Tokaj wine region, Pannonhalma Archabbey, to name just a few.

Hungarian Cuisine

Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, dairy products and cheeses. Most often associated with Hungary is a hearty meat dish called goulash. Traditionally cooked over fire, it reflects the the importance of livestock and the nomadic lifestyle of the Magyar people. When it comes to seasoning the dishes, Hungarians seldom avoid paprika. It features in chicken paprikás, as well as various traditional sausages and salami. Popular street food includes lángos (fried bread dough most often topped with sour cream and shredded cheese) and kürtőskalács (delicious spit cake for those with a sweet tooth).

The cradle of modern science

Hungary boasts top scientists and discoveries in the field of medicine, physics, chemistry, genetics and engineering: the vitamin C, early antiseptic procedures before the idea that diseases were caused by germs was widely accepted, safe matches, idea of the telephone switchboard and Europe’s first telephone exchange in 1879, the ‘speaking newspaper’ – a forerunner of radio, modern methods and tools to measure gravity, pioneer work with nuclear fission and chain reactions, which resulted in the first nuclear reactor, the use of solar energy with applications like a portable solar-powered water desalinator for use on Navy lifeboats to solar ovens and even the first solar-heated house, and the hydrogen bomb invention, they all belong to Hungarian Mastermids of 19th and 20th centuries.