Where do live most of the Germans in Hungary?

Published on January 13, 2026

Keywords: Emigrating to Hungary, Germans in Hungary, German Minority in Hungary

From Lake Balaton to the outskirts of Pécs – the German presence in Hungary is experiencing a renaissance. A comprehensive analysis of figures, motives, and a considerable unreported number.

Hungary and Germany share a centuries-old, often eventful but deeply rooted history. Today, this relationship is as vibrant as it has rarely been before, while also being politically controversial.

While political rhetoric between Berlin and Budapest is often marked by tensions, citizens are “voting with their feet.” Hungary has become one of the most attractive destinations for German emigrants.

Many potential emigrants therefore ask themselves:

Where do most Germans live in Hungary?

The question is not entirely easy to answer, as we must consider different groups of Germans and can only rely on incomplete statistics.
 

Who are the Germans in Hungary?

To understand who “the Germans” in Hungary are, one must distinguish between:

• German citizens (immigrants): People who have mostly moved from Germany to Hungary for economic, personal, or political reasons (expatriates, retirees, digital nomads)
• Hungarian Germans (Danube Swabians): Hungarian citizens with German roots. They have lived here for generations, maintain their traditions, and are politically recognized as an official minority
• Germans not captured by statistics: Hungarian-German dual citizens who are recorded as Hungarians and Germans who do not register

The Development of Immigration from Germany

The development of new immigration is clear. Data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) show a clear upward trend among German citizens, insofar as they are captured by statistics.

Analysis: Dynamic Growth of German Immigration to Hungary

Official figures from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) report 25,381 German citizens with permanent residence in Hungary for 2025. This corresponds to a massive increase of over 45% since 2021. But anyone familiar with reality on the ground knows: even this number falls far short.¹⁾

The Phenomenon of the “Invisible” Germans

The actual number of Germans in Hungary is likely to exceed official registers many times over. There are three reasons for this:

• Employees: Only a small number of employees with German citizenship have their residence in the country (in 2024 only 573).²⁾
• Dual citizens: Tens of thousands of people of Hungarian descent who grew up in Germany now hold both passports. However, in Hungarian statistics they appear only as Hungarian citizens.
• The 183-day rule: Many German property owners spend significantly more than half the year in their homes on Lake Balaton or in Baranya, but do not officially register in order to keep their primary residence in Germany.

Structure of German Immigrants (Estimated Values)

Looking at registered German citizens, the following sociodemographic breakdown emerges:

• Retirees (approx. 40–60%): The largest group, often motivated by purchasing power advantages and the need for security. The figure of 14–15,000 retirees in Hungary circulates repeatedly, but these are estimates without statistical verification. The hardest figure is around 6,500 German pensions transferred monthly to Hungary. There may also be a considerable unreported number of retirees without pension transfers who continue to receive pensions in Germany or live off assets.³⁾
• Employees and skilled workers (approx. 30–40%): Concentrated in centers such as Győr (Audi), Kecskemét (Mercedes), and Budapest, as well as self-employed tradespeople mostly in the Balaton region
• Educational migrants (approx. 10%): Students at German-language faculties. In 2024, 3,384 Germans studied in Hungary.⁴⁾
• Digital nomads & lifestyle migrants (approx. 10–20%): Young families working remotely and seeking conservative values and the freedom of rural areas or classic self-sufficiency.

An interesting trend we have observed for several years is that emigrating to Hungary is no longer only an issue for Germans who want to live more cheaply. Increasingly, well-off entrepreneurs are breaking ties in Germany, coming to Hungary, and either taking early retirement or building new businesses.

Historical Excursus: German Immigrants

Today’s acceptance of Germans in Hungary is no coincidence, but the result of centuries of settlement history.

Different groups are distinguished:

• Saxons: Invited to Transylvania as early as the Middle Ages.
• Danube Swabians: The largest wave in the 18th century after the Turkish wars.
• Heidebauern, Hienzen, and Stiffoller: Regional groups with specific cultural roots.

By the end of the 18th century, more than one million Germans lived in Hungary, most of them working in agriculture.⁵⁾
Despite the tragic expulsions after World War II, a core remained. The number of those declaring German nationality fluctuates: in 2011 there were 131,951 people, in 2022 this number fell to 98,402.

These fluctuations are partly due to changes in census methodology, gradual assimilation, and changing self-identification, not actual emigration. Questions on national minorities in the census are voluntary, which may include an unreported number.⁶⁾

In the Budapest region and in the south (Baranya County), the most people still declare German nationality in censuses. Even where concentrations in other parts of the country are lower, German roots can still be found widely.

In Veszprém County alone there are 52 localities that look back on a German history.⁷⁾

Hungary provides state support for German self-administration in municipalities, and the representative of the German minority is the only minority representative in the Hungarian parliament.

This historical depth leads to Germans today not being perceived as foreign bodies, but as a familiar part of Hungarian society.
 

Distribution of the German Presence

So where do the ‘Germans’ live? In principle, Germans can now be found throughout Hungary, although three regions with concentrations stand out.

The ethnic German minorities are more in the south and west, while German immigrants are most concentrated around Lake Balaton and in the capital.
   

Motives: Security, Purchasing Power, and Quality of Life

The reasons for immigration have changed. While it used to be love of the country, today hard facts such as security, cost of living, and real estate prices dominate.

And unlike many other countries, one is not lost due to lack of language skills. Both infrastructure as well as education and culture are very German-friendly.

Immigration criteria and characteristics:
 
In the many phone calls and conversations I have every week, security & stability are the most requested topics, followed by living costs and real estate prices.
 

Conclusion: Emigrating to Hungary — a Model for the Future?

German immigration to Hungary is more than just an escape from high prices.

It is the search for a lifestyle that seems to have been lost for many in Western Europe: security, social stability, and a warm welcome by a population that has known Germans for generations as hardworking and valued neighbors.

Whether as retirees in the “Hévíz area” or as young families in rural areas — Germans in Hungary have not only arrived, they are at home again.
 

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Sources & Document Basis

1 KSH (Hungarian Central Statistical Office): Nationality and migration data 2011–2025
2 Employment of foreigners 2024
3 Number of German pension recipients 2023
4 German students in Hungary
5 Number of German minority
6 Hungarian Germans history
7 Swabian villages in Veszprém County
8 BKA 2025 – Crime statistics Germany
9 KSH 2025 – Crime statistics Hungary
10 Cost of living Hungary vs Germany Numbeo 2026
11 German School Budapest , Audi School Győr, Goethe Institute
12 Andrássy University Budapest, Audi School Győr, Semmelweis University, University of Pécs
13 Balaton Zeitung, Budapester Zeitung, Deutsche Bühne Ungarn , German Kindergarten Budapest

If you have questions or need assistance, do not hesitate to call us.

Author: Dr. Peik Langerwisch

After studying business administration with a degree as Diplom-Kaufmann and a magna cum laude doctorate in management studies, the author worked for twenty years in global consulting firms and banks and has now been working for several years as a real estate broker for properties in Hungary.

Brief overview of expertise and career