In Budapest, foreigners accounted for 5.5% of all home purchases last year. However, their share rose to 13.2% in the inner Pest area (districts V, VI, VII, VIII and IX), where more than half of all foreign purchases in the capital were concentrated.
 

Chinese buyers were particularly prominent in these central districts, accounting for 3.5 percentage points of all home purchases, while Vietnamese buyers represented another 0.8 percentage points. Israeli buyers accounted for 0.8 percentage points, followed by Turkish buyers at 0.7%, Russian buyers at 0.6% and French buyers at 0.5%.

The figures underline the very different pattern of foreign demand across Hungary’s housing market. While international buyers remain a relatively small proportion of the national market, they have a much stronger presence in selected locations attractive to overseas purchasers.

High German Buyers in Western Hungary

The highest foreign-buyer shares outside Budapest were recorded in Somogy and Zala counties, where foreigners accounted for 11.3% of home purchases in both areas in 2025.
 

More than two-thirds of foreign purchases in the two counties were made by German citizens. Dutch, Austrian and Swiss buyers also featured prominently.

German nationals were also the largest foreign buyer group nationwide, accounting for 1.1 percentage points of all home purchases. Romanian citizens represented 0.6 percentage points and Slovaks 0.5 percentage points, while Dutch and Chinese buyers each accounted for 0.3 percentage points. Austrian citizens represented 0.2 percentage points.

The regional pattern is partly linked to proximity and established international demand. German buyers are particularly active in western Hungary, while buyers from neighbouring countries are more prominent in areas close to their respective borders.

Foreign Buyers Not the Same as 'Foreign Ownership'

The National Bank data measure purchases made by foreign citizens, rather than the total proportion of Hungarian homes already owned by foreigners.

The central bank has said it does not have data showing what percentage of the country's housing stock is currently in foreign hands. It also does not have comparable EU-wide data on foreign housing purchases.

That distinction is important: the 4% national figure and the 13.2% figure for inner Pest describe the nationality of buyers in transactions during 2025, not the proportion of properties that are foreign-owned.

Photo: Pixabay

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