Key Budapest tourism statistics (2025)
- Budapest recorded 7,686,000 tourist arrivals in 2025, a new high for the KSH series and 4.5 times the 2021 figure.
- Guests spent 18,251,000 nights in the city's tourist accommodation, 11.1% more than in 2024.
- 86.2% of arrivals and 87.0% of nights were international guests.
- The busiest month was August (1.90 million nights) and the quietest was January (1.07 million).
- Foreign visitors spent 3,729 billion forints in Hungary in 2025, up 11.6% on 2024.
How many tourists visit Budapest each year?
Budapest welcomed 7.69 million tourist arrivals in 2025, up 14.2% from 6.73 million in 2024. Arrivals have grown every year since 2021, when pandemic travel restrictions kept the total to 1.72 million.
| Year | Total arrivals | International | Domestic | Change vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,717,000 | 1,220,000 | 497,000 | |
| 2022 | 4,268,000 | 3,528,000 | 740,000 | +148.6% |
| 2023 | 5,358,000 | 4,552,000 | 806,000 | +25.5% |
| 2024 | 6,731,000 | 5,763,000 | 968,000 | +25.6% |
| 2025 | 7,686,000 | 6,624,000 | 1,062,000 | +14.2% |
An arrival is one guest checking in at a hotel, guesthouse, short-term rental or other registered accommodation, so a traveler who changes hotels counts twice and day-trippers are not counted. Domestic arrivals grew too, from 968,000 in 2024 to 1.06 million in 2025, but international guests drive almost all of the growth.
How many nights do tourists spend in Budapest?
Tourists spent 18.25 million nights in Budapest in 2025, 11.1% more than in 2024. International guests accounted for 15.87 million of them.
Show the data table
| Year | Total nights | International | Domestic |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 5,461,000 | 3,669,000 | 1,793,000 |
| 2022 | 11,961,000 | 9,826,000 | 2,134,000 |
| 2023 | 14,163,000 | 12,058,000 | 2,104,000 |
| 2024 | 16,434,000 | 14,155,000 | 2,279,000 |
| 2025 | 18,251,000 | 15,870,000 | 2,381,000 |
How long do visitors stay in Budapest?
The average guest stayed 2.4 nights in 2025, down from 3.2 nights in 2021. International guests stayed 2.4 nights on average and domestic guests 2.2.
Show the data table
| Year | International | Domestic | All guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 |
| 2022 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| 2024 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 |
| 2025 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
When do most tourists visit Budapest?
Budapest is busy all year. In 2025 the quietest month, January, still saw 1.07 million tourism nights, while the peak in August reached 1.90 million. December is the second busiest month (1.82 million nights, up 14.5% on December 2024), thanks to the Christmas markets and New Year's Eve. Every month of 2025 was busier than the same month in 2024.
Show the data table
| Month | 2025 nights | 2024 nights | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,071,000 | 918,000 | +16.7% |
| February | 1,078,000 | 984,000 | +9.6% |
| March | 1,293,000 | 1,208,000 | +7.0% |
| April | 1,561,000 | 1,290,000 | +21.0% |
| May | 1,600,000 | 1,488,000 | +7.5% |
| June | 1,490,000 | 1,420,000 | +4.9% |
| July | 1,621,000 | 1,556,000 | +4.2% |
| August | 1,897,000 | 1,726,000 | +9.9% |
| September | 1,601,000 | 1,449,000 | +10.5% |
| October | 1,691,000 | 1,467,000 | +15.3% |
| November | 1,527,000 | 1,337,000 | +14.2% |
| December | 1,822,000 | 1,591,000 | +14.5% |
Where do visitors to Budapest come from?
KSH publishes the country breakdown for Hungary as a whole rather than for Budapest alone, but it shows which markets matter most. Germany is the largest source of international tourism nights by a wide margin, followed by the United Kingdom, Poland and Czechia. All ten of the top markets grew in 2025.
Show the data table
| Country | 2025 nights | 2024 nights | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2,912,000 | 2,720,000 | +7.1% |
| United Kingdom | 1,610,000 | 1,510,000 | +6.6% |
| Poland | 1,609,000 | 1,458,000 | +10.4% |
| Czechia | 1,478,000 | 1,419,000 | +4.2% |
| Romania | 1,390,000 | 1,246,000 | +11.6% |
| Italy | 1,353,000 | 1,199,000 | +12.8% |
| Austria | 1,064,000 | 1,014,000 | +4.9% |
| Spain | 1,027,000 | 931,000 | +10.3% |
| Slovakia | 1,005,000 | 994,000 | +1.1% |
| France | 825,000 | 705,000 | +17.0% |
How much do tourists spend in Budapest each year?
Spending is only published for Hungary as a whole. Foreign visitors spent 3,729 billion forints in Hungary in 2025, up 11.6% on 2024 and 61% above 2019 in current prices. Part of that rise reflects Hungary's high inflation in 2022 and 2023, so the real increase is smaller. These figures include day trips across the border, not just overnight stays.
How popular is Budapest as a tourist destination?
- Budapest ranks 6th on DW's list of the 10 most visited cities in Europe.
- Renowned for its stunning architecture, iconic bridges, and historical landmarks, the Hungarian capital continues to attract a large number of travelers.
How important is tourism to Hungary's economy?
Tourism plays a vital role in the Hungarian economy, growing at a faster pace than overall economic growth in the decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2022, the OECD iLibrary revealed that the total gross value added by tourism industries was 6.2%, compared to 6.8% in 2019.
- Tourism also remained a significant source of employment, accounting for 383,700 jobs or 8.7% of national employment in 2021, which was a decline from 421,000 jobs in 2019.
- Travel exports contributed 18.4% of total service exports, a drop from the 24.2% recorded in 2019.
What are the top destinations to visit in Budapest?
Budapest is Hungary's top tourist destination, with 7.69 million arrivals at the city's tourist accommodation in 2025. Here are some of the most visited places in Budapest:
- Buda Castle: Known for its Historical Museum and Matthias Church, Buda Castle offers breathtaking views of the Danube River and is a symbol of Hungary's rich heritage.
- Parliament Building: Famous for its crown jewels and intricate interior, the Hungarian Parliament Building impresses visitors with its stunning neo-Gothic design along the banks of the Danube.
- Széchenyi Thermal Bath: Featuring medicinal thermal pools and grand architecture, this thermal bath is a must-visit for those wanting to experience Budapest's spa culture.
- Banks of the Danube: The riverbanks are part of Budapest's UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 1987. The Parliament, Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge line both sides, and a one-hour Danube river cruise passes all of them.
- Fisherman's Bastion: A popular site for its view of the city and statues of Stephen I, Fisherman’s Bastion is known for its fairy-tale-like architecture and scenic vantage points over Budapest.
Sources and methodology
- Arrivals, nights and length of stay for Budapest come from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), which draws on the National Tourism Data Service Center (NTAK) registry. They cover all tourist accommodation: hotels, guesthouses, private rentals and other registered stays.
- The KSH series for Budapest starts in 2021, so this page does not compare against earlier years.
- Country-of-origin and spending figures are national (Hungary), because KSH does not publish them for Budapest separately. Spending comes from the Hungarian National Bank's balance of payments data.
- Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand; percentages are calculated from the published figures.