Hungary's labor force, total was 4.94 million in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 4.82% from 4.71 million in 2015 (0.47% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 4.94 million | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 4.83 million | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 4.71 million | 2015 |
| Highest | 4.97 million | 2023 |
| Lowest | 4.27 million | 1990 |
| Average since 2016 | 4.87 million | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 4.27 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Hungary's labor force, total fell 0.6% on 2024 (from 4.97 million to 4.94 million).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.3% in 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.2% in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 20,752 a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2025, Hungary had the 84th highest value of the 182 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 4.94 million | 2025 |
| World | 3.74 billion | 2025 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 429.15 million | 2025 |
| High income | 733.62 million | 2025 |
Closest to Hungary in the 2025 ranking
- Haiti — 81st of 182: 5.27 million
- Switzerland — 82nd of 182: 5.17 million
- Azerbaijan — 83rd of 182: 5.11 million
- Cuba — 85th of 182: 4.86 million
- Israel — 86th of 182: 4.83 million
- Belarus — 87th of 182: 4.8 million
What this measures
Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.
All 36 values
| Year | Labor force, total |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,936,333 |
| 2024 | 4,965,018 |
| 2023 | 4,971,665 |
| 2022 | 4,912,669 |
| 2021 | 4,864,077 |
| 2020 | 4,829,178 |
| 2019 | 4,843,975 |
| 2018 | 4,835,700 |
| 2017 | 4,807,691 |
| 2016 | 4,780,556 |
| 2015 |
Labor force, total in nearby economies
- Albania — 1.26 million (2025)
- Armenia — 1.49 million (2025)
- Austria — 4.75 million (2025)
- Azerbaijan — 5.11 million (2025)
- Belarus — 4.8 million (2025)
- Belgium — 5.46 million (2025)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 1.34 million (2025)
- Bulgaria — 3.09 million (2025)
- Channel Islands — 81,617 (2025)
- Croatia — 1.74 million (2025)
- Cyprus — 770,268 (2025)
- Czechia — 5.58 million (2025)
More social protection & labor data for Hungary
- Net migration — -16,331 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 2,055 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 55.26% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate) — 80.88% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 68.33% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate) — 61.5% (2025)
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, female (%) (national estimate) — 52.9% (2025)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Hungary's labor force, total?
- 4.94 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1990?
- It is up 15.72% from 4.27 million in 1990 (0.42% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4.97 million in 2023 and the lowest 4.27 million in 1990.
- How does Hungary rank?
- 84th highest of 182 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in labor force, total unusual for Hungary?
- In 2025, Hungary's labor force, total fell 0.6% on 2024 (from 4.97 million to 4.94 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +0.5% and a typical year strayed about 0.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.TLF.TOTL.IN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database; United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division; Staff estimates, World Bank (WB) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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