What is the capital of Hungary?
Budapest stands on the Danube, historically split into hilly Buda on the west bank and flat Pest on the east.
Budapest is the capital and seat of government of Hungary, a role it has held since 1873. Hungary itself has an estimated population of 9,514,251 (2025).
Budapest is also the largest city in Hungary, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Budapest at a glance
| City population | 1,685,209 (2025) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 3,303,786 (2024) |
| Country | ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º Hungary |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Capital since | 1873 |
| Largest city in Hungary | Budapest |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| Currency | Hungarian forint (HUF) |
About Budapest
Modern Budapest was formed on 17 November 1873 by the merger of Buda, Óbuda and Pest.
Budapest has been the capital of Hungary since 1873, the unified city of Budapest became Hungary's capital in 1873; Buda and Pest had been Hungarian royal and political centres for centuries.
Budapest is Hungary's largest city, home to roughly a third of the country's population.
The Danube divides the hilly Buda side from the flat Pest side, once separate cities joined in 1873.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Budapest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Hungary?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Hungary on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.