Hungary Case Study: Ageing Population

This set of vocabulary flashcards covers key demographic data, cultural and economic factors, government strategies, and spatial variations regarding Hungary's ageing population.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of Hungary

The average number of births per woman in Hungary, currently at a level of $1.49$, which is below the replacement rate of $2.1$.

Natural Decrease

A population trend where deaths exceed births each year; Hungary's population decline is recorded at $-0.45\%$ per annum.

Median Age

The middle age of the population, which in Hungary stands at $43.3\text{ years}$.

Shrinking Workforce

A challenge where the proportion of working-age people ($15-64\text{ years}$) decreases while the old-age dependency ratio increases.

Family Protection Action Plan 2019

A pronatalist policy introduced by Viktor Orbán to increase births through financial incentives like interest-free loans of up to $10\text{ million HUF}$, housing grants, and tax exemptions.

Replacement Fertility

The level of fertility at which a population exactly replaces itself from one generation to the next, usually considered to be $2.1$ children per woman.

Ujbuda 60+ Program

An active-ageing initiative in Budapest’s 11th District providing over $150$ monthly activities to tackle loneliness and social isolation among residents aged $60+$.

Netrevalók

A digital literacy program ("The Teens Teaching Grandma to Google") where high school students teach older adults technology skills to reduce digital exclusion and loneliness.

Hungary Population Atlas (KSH)

An interactive GIS-based tool created by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office using $2022$ census data to map demographic patterns like population density and ageing index.

Békés County

A southeastern rural county that experienced a population decline of approximately $20\%$ between $1990$ and $2020$ due to youth out-migration and natural decrease.

Pest County

The region surrounding Budapest that experienced population growth of over $30\%$ between $1990$ and $2020$ as it attracts young families and workers.

Ageing Index

A measure of the number of older people compared to younger people; Hungary's index is $147.8\%$, indicating a significantly older population.

Digital Exclusion

A social issue where older populations lack access or skills to use the internet; in Hungary, $90\%$ of people aged over $80$ do not use the internet.

Brain Drain

The large-scale emigration of young and highly skilled workers to countries like Germany and Austria, often following Hungary's EU accession in $2004$.

At-risk-of-poverty Threshold

The income level below which seniors are at risk of financial hardship; in Hungary, this is $173,990\text{ HUF}$ (approximately $\text€441$) per month.

Internal Migration

Movement within the country, such as young adults moving from rural counties like Nógrád and Baranya to Budapest for education and employment.

Pronatalist Policy

A government policy that encourages people to have children, such as Hungary's aim to grow its population without relying on immigration.

Old-age Dependency Ratio

The relationship between the number of retirees and the number of workers available to support them, which is rising as Hungary's population ages.