Last year marks the first year the number of those returning from abroad exceeded the number of those leaving Hungary.
In 2014-15, around 30,000 decided to leave the country in search of a better life elsewhere, compared with the 10-13,000 arriving back in Hungary.
In 2016, the number of those moving away dropped to 29,000, while those coming to Hungary hit 17,000. By 2017, there were around 27,000 setting out for a new country, and 21,000 relocating to Hungary. Finally, 2018 saw the reversal of this trend: the population increased by about 1,850 people.
An article by economic news portal Portfolio reveals that 31 percent of the people left for Germany, 30 percent for Austria and only 15 percent went to the UK. Meanwhile, 31 percent of the incomers arrived from Austria, 25 percent from Germany, and 22 percent from the UK. The research also found that most of those ready to move between countries were below 40 years of age, and most of them were single men with no children.
More citizens are now driven to start a new life in Hungary than those considering a move away - which only goes to show the social benefits of our rapidly-growing economy, the positive effects of job creation programs and the vast number of new welfare packages, such as the family protection plan.
Photo credit: nlcafe.hu