Hungary, a member of the European Union since 2004, has a population of approximately 9.6 million people as of 2022. Its economy is characterized by a strong industrial sector, with significant contributions from manufacturing and services, including information technology. Hungary's GDP per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity, aligns closely with the Eastern European EU average. Politically, it is a parliamentary republic, and it has raised EU concerns regarding judicial independence and media freedom. The country has not adopted the euro, maintaining its national currency, the Hungarian Forint (HUF).