Hungarian Studies Newsletter, 1975 (3. évfolyam, 6-8. szám)
1975 / 6. szám
Age Structure FIGURE 1 Population by sex and age group, Hungary, January 1972 The population of Hungary is aging. The portion of the population aged 60 and older has increased steadily from 10-11 percent in 1949 to 14 percent in 1960 and to 17 percent in 1970 (see Figure 1). The portion of the population under age 15 was 25 percent of the total population in 1970. Of the 62 percent (6,398,100 persons) in the economically productive age groups, 37 percent are aged 15-39 and the remaining 25 percent are aged 40-59. As in most other populations, there is a surplus of males (951 females per 1,000 males) in the age groups 15 years and under, and a surplus of females (1,307 females per 1,000 males) in the age groups 60 years and over. Rural-Urban Distribution The rural population of Hungary has been decreasing for the last century, gradually at first, but more rapidly over the last 30 years. In 1870, 74 percent of the population lived in villages, compared with 62 percent in 1949 and 52 percent in 1973. Between 1960 and 1973, the population living in villages fell by 7 percent. This was the first time that both the percentage and the number of the rural population had decreased. Natural increase is no longer compensating for the loss to the rural population caused by migration to towns and cities. In 1973, 7 percent of the population lived in cities with populations over 100,000. Of all cities in Hungary, the population of Budapest has been growing at the fastest rate. Six percent of the population lived in Budapest in 1870, 17 percent in 1949, 18 percent in 1960, and 19 percent in 1970. The proportion of the population living in provincial towns increased by only one percentage point (from 20 to 21) from 1870 to 1949; however, since then it has increased more rapidly, and by 1973, 29 percent of the population lived in provincial towns. Migration Internal migration in Hungary appears to be decreasing, based on data for the period 1960-1970. In 1960, 3.4 percent of the population permanently changed their place of residence; in 1970, 2.6 percent permaMales § Females 85 + ■ 80-84 § 75 79 ■1; 70-74 1R;KI 65-69 ■ 60-64 mp 55-59 pifr- 50-54 B 45-49 wmmm ■ 4°-44 JPfeP p:.. 35-39 ■Hi; p | 30-34 MB&," 25-29 .. 20-24 ■HNNté^' 15-19 MH- io-14 9 __i__i ü ifc.i ■ i__i— 1_1_1__1__1__1_1__1__1__ 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 Population (thousands) nently relocated. The proportion of temporary migrants also decreased during this period. The number of emigrants and immigrants is insignificant in Hungary. Ethnic and Religious Composition The Hungarian people belong to the family of the Finno-Ugrians. Estimates of the percentage of persons of other ethnic groups fluctuate between 1.5 and 3.0 percent. According to the 1970 census, the mother tongue of 98.5 percent of the population of the country is Hungarian. Among the remainder, the most numerous have German as their mother tongue, followed by nationalities with Gypsy, Slovak, and Croatian mother tongues. The latest available data on religious distribution derive from the 1949 census. According to this, approximately 68.0 percent of the population are Roman Catholics, 21.6 percent are Calvinists, 5.2 percent are Lutherans, 2.7 percent are Greek Catholics, and 1.6 percent are Jewish. Education Literacy is almost universal: 98 percent of the male population and 97 percent of the female population were literate in 1970. Since 1949, the education level of the population has greatly increased. For both males and females, the proportion having completed each of the three levels of schooling (primary, secondary, and university) has more than doubled (see Table 5). Schooling begins at age six, and the eight years of primary school are compulsory and free of charge. Secondary school is four years and is also free. Universities, medical schools, and technical insti-TABLE 5 Percent of adult population at each education level, Hungary, 1949, 1960, 1970 15 years and older (attended at least 8 grades of primary schools) 18 years and older (passed at least secondary school finals) 25 years and older (graduated from institutions of higher learning) Year Males Females Males Females Males Females 1949 21.9 19.5 8.1 3.3 3.1 0.5 1960 34.5 31.3 11.6 6.3 4.5 1.1 1970 55.5 48.2 17.8 13.6 6.5 2.4 8
