REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF

MEDIUM-TERM REGIONAL OBJECTIVES whole of this region is included in Central Hungary. Its total area is 2 538 km2. In 2007, its population was IN THE NATIONAL SPATIAL 2 million 476 thousand people; and 21.7 thousand DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT more people migrated into the region than out of it during the same year. A territorial description of the has still an outstanding role within the spa- regional types in the National Spatial tial structure of economic performance since its HUF Development Concept 5.5 million GDP per capita exceeded the national aver- The Budapest Metropolitan Region age more than twofold, and it was 4-5 times higher than the GDP per capita of the worst performing coun- The capital city and its agglomeration is the most de- ties. The share of the capital city remained high also veloped and competitive group of settlements in the in R&D expenditure; it was more than 60% in 2007. country, also from an international perspective. This 28% of the enterprises in the financial intermediation metropolitan region is considerable not only as an eco- services in 2007 operated in the Budapest Metropoli- nomic, service and innovation centre, but also as an tan Region. A fifth of all enterprises with a similar pro- “international gateway”, significant tourism destination file were concentrated in Budapest itself. According to and transportation hub. Beyond these, it is also very the guest nights spent by foreign visitors, Budapest important to ensure a liveable environment for its out- and its agglomeration is the most significant tourism re- standing concentration of population. gion in Hungary. The share of this region from all guest The Budapest Metropolitan Region is composed nights spent by foreign tourists was 48% in 2007. of Budapest and 80 surrounding municipalities. The Rather intensive suburbanisation is indicated by the proportion of newly built homes, which was 1.1% Budapest Metropolitan area of the entire housing stock in Budapest, and double of this in the agglomeration in 2007. Personal car ownership is also outstanding here; the number of personal automobiles per 1000 inhabitants was 350 in the capital, and 375 in its agglomeration, both sig- nificantly higher than the national average (300). No major new road construction was carried out; there were no new sections of the M0 ring completed in 2007. The most important development in railway transport was the construction of the railway station at Ferihegy Airport. The proportion of homes connected to the sew- age network was 97.8% in Budapest in 2007, and the same was 72.3% in the municipalities of the 36 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY agglomeration (the national average was 69.8%). centres (near HUF 1.5 million) exceeded the na- 40.5% of the collected sewage went through biologi- tional average by approx. 15%; Győr (HUF 3.7 mil- cal or phase III treatment in the region. According lion/inh.) and Székesfehérvár (HUF 2.3 million/inh.) to the air-pollution index calculated from data col- were outstanding in this regard. In the economy of lected at automatic monitoring stations, the quality the major cities, foreign capital played considerably of the air at most of the monitoring sites in - smaller role (32%) than nationally (57%). Its share pest belonged to the “polluted” category in 2007. was higher than the national average only in Székes- The main air pollutants were obviously the nitrogen fehérvár (67%). oxides (NO2 and NOx) released from public road traf- Within the wider category of advanced business fic, as well as airborne dust (PM10). In 2007, the services, real estate businesses and economic share of green areas as compared to the total services emerged with the most substantial share of territory within municipal borders was 3.6% in the enterprises. As a consequence of their functions, in Metropolitan Region; the surface of green areas in every pole city, as well as regarding their average val- Budapest was 22.5 km2. ue (27), the number of these businesses per 1000 inhabitants was much higher than nationally (12 en- Development poles terprises). Veszprém and Győr had a dominant role within this region type with 33 such enterprises per The National Spatial Development Concept identifies 1000 people. The region type average was exceeded five regional development poles (Győr, Pécs, Sze- in Pécs and Székesfehérvár (29-30 enterprises), but ged, Debrecen, Miskolc), and two joint development the other pole cities had lower than average num- centres (Székesfehérvár, Veszprém). Their task is bers. The commercial sector is a significant area of to be the engines of development in their respective the advanced business services. The average number regions in the fields of economy and science, and to of commercial enterprises per 1000 inhabitants was retain the most highly qualified labour force within their 18 in this region type, which was only 3 enterprises regions by means of offering them high quality culture, more than nationally. The commercial business sec- services and workplaces, thus counter-balancing the tor of Győr, Székesfehérvár and Debrecen stood out socio-economic dominance of the capital. to some extent (with 19-20 enterprises per 1000 The combined area of the seven municipalities is inhabitants), while the other pole cities had 2-3 enter- 1 614 km2; Debrecen is the biggest among them with prises fewer from these. 461 km2. Their total population was 992.7 thousand In terms of higher education, the three most signifi- inhabitants in 2007. With the exception of Miskolc, cant countryside university stood out from among they were migration destinations, and they had a mi- the pole cities: Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs. In the gration surplus of a little more than 3000 people in counties containing these three cities, the total number total by 2007. of students participating in higher education was near In 2007, the average gross added value per cap- 88 thousand, which meant over one-third (34.2%) of ita of the development poles and joint development all students at universities outside Budapest in 2007. 37 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

As regards cultural life, 21% of all visits to thea- The circle of external and internal peripheries and tres and 10% of all visits to museums were made in backwards regions in Hungary was defined based on the pole cities. The theatres of Miskolc and Győr had the “Government Decree 311/2007 (XI. 17) about the highest numbers of visitors (189 thousand and the classification of beneficiary microregions”. 94 mi- 167 thousand, respectively), and concerning muse- croregions belong to this category, the total area of ums, Pécs had a traditionally dominant role with 339 which is 53 184 km2, 57.2% of the national territory. thousand visitors. Their combined population in 2007 was 3 million 114 Among the pole cities, only Pécs was without a thousand inhabitants, and the population increased in clearway connection in 2007. The system of high- only three microregions (of Hajdúhadháza, Móraha- rank roads connecting the pole cities was in many lom and Aba). The migration balance was negative in cases, still deficient and of a deteriorated quality. 88 microregions from the 94, and the combined mi- Previously started developments in railway and wa- gration deficit in these microregions was 24.4 thou- ter transport concerning the pole cities (e.g., Szeged, sand people in 2007. Győr) continued in 2007, too. In 2007, within the disadvantaged regions, the The pole cities are significant transport hubs, there- number of enterprises by 1000 inhabitants was high- fore most of the air pollution comes from pollutants est in the microregion of Kaposvár (69), and lowest released by transport (PM10, NOx). The greatest in the microregion of Bodrogköz (17). The region type problem was with PM10: in terms of PM10, air qual- average was 43 enterprises in 2007, much below the ity in Szeged was classified as polluted, the situation national average (68). The share of foreign capital in all was acceptable in Miskolc, and air quality in the rest of subscribed capital of enterprises in the region was only the cities were categorised as good in 2007. Regard- 28%, which meant half of the national value in 2007. ing nitrogen oxides, air quality was acceptable in Győr, Miskolc and Szeged, and it was good in Debrecen. Socially and economically backwards microregions

External and internal peripheries, backward regions

Permanently backward regions can be characterized by the interaction of several negative factors: unfa- vourable age, qualification and economic structure of the population, restricted availability of resources (shortage of capital, out-migration of the qualified la- bour force), which besides an especially poor accessi- bility, is further aggravated by the lack of real regional centres that could take care of the needs of their surroundings. 38 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

Economic performance in the disadvantaged areas population was 1 million 446.2 thousand in 2007, was a mere quarter of the national average in 2007. 14.4% of the total national population. Due to out- GAV per capita was higher than the national average migration, the population of this region decreased by only in the microregions of Tab and Kazincbarcika, 7300 people in 2007, and with the exception of the while it was extremely low in the disadvantaged mi- microregions of Szeged, Kecskemét and Csongrád, croregions situated along the Romanian and Serbian outwards migration is typical of the region, and is es- borers, in Ormánság, őrség, and in North-eastern pecially significant in the Upper Tisza region. Hungary. The economic performance of this region type was In 2007, unemployment rate in this region type was behind the national average, gross added value per 12.43%, and it remained below the national average capita was less than HUF 500 thousand here, which (6.8%) only in five of the peripheral microregions. In- hardly reached 40% of the national average. There come per capita showed also an unfavourable picture: was a slight increase in the commercial accommoda- it was HUF 541 thousand in 2007, which was only tion capacities in the region, especially regarding the 70.5% of the national average. Income per capita was numbers of hotels, camping sites and youth hostels. the lowest in the microregion of Bodrogköz, where it The region was characterised by an unemployment did not reach 35% of the national value. rate considerably higher than the national average In 2007, in the peripheral regions, 45.6% of the (6.9%): in 2007, it was 10.2% in the 15-59 age households were connected to the sewage network, group, and it exceeded 20% in the microregions of which means a still significant lag behind the national Fehérgyarmat, Vásárosnamény and Bodrogköz. In- average (69.85). come per capita was HUF 625.2 thousand in 2007, which was 81.4% of the national average; it was high- Tisza region er than the national figure only in the microregions of Tiszaújváros, Szeged, and Kecskemét. In the development of the Tisza region, besides in- The proportion of homes connected to the sewage frastructure development, an emphasized objective is network had increased by 2007 to 53.7%, which was also the promotion of ecotourism and the protection however, still lower than the national average (70%). of the natural and cultural values in the region, build- The region could achieve significant development con- ing on flood protection and a complex water-resource cerning sewage treatment: with the completion of management. These developments can help increase the modernisation of the sewage treatment plant in employment and better utilise the potentials of the Szeged, there was a full-scale application of biologi- river through an improved accessibility, which are the cal and phase III treatments at the sewage treatment basis for raising this region from its internal-peripher- sites by 2007. al position. As to the water quality of Tisza, based on the an- Tisza region is made up of 30 microregions along nual average values of biochemical oxygen demand the river. Their combined area is 17 589 km2, which (BOD5) and the total nitrogen content, the river left is 18.9% of the territory of Hungary. Their total Hungary in a better condition than what it was in at its 39 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

entrance of Hungary. However, concerning the total Duna mente, Homokhátság and Tisza region phosphate content and the Coliform number, the situ- ation was the reverse of this along the Hungarian sec- tion of Tisza: the water quality was worse at the exit than at the entrance point of the river. 11.3% of the total area of the Tisza region is covered by forests; the microregion of Sárospatak was to the greatest extent forested. In 2007, 267 (60%) of the 440 mu- nicipalities in the region had a protected cultural mon- ument or historic building of national importance. 19 ferries operated on Tisza, and besides these, there were 16 public road crossings and 9 railway bridges, which were still too few for the current vol- umes of traffic. It is suggestive of high economic performance in The Danube Riverside and the Danube-Tisza this region that here in 2007, the gross added value interfluve regions (Duna mente and Homokhátság) per capita was exactly the double of the national aver- age (which later was HUF 1.5 million). The regional The main aspects in the development of these two average was exceeded in Budapest microregion by neighbouring regions have been flood protection, wa- more than 40%, and in the microregion of Komárom, ter transport, the protection of water habitats, as well by almost 50%. The unemployment rate in the region as sustainable landscape and water management. was 3.3% in 2007, which was less than half of the national figure (6.9%). This favourable rate was due Duna mente to mainly the capital city (2.2%). In the microregions north of Csepel Island, unemployment rates stayed The Duna mente region includes the total area of 22 generally below 4%, however, it is increasing east- microregions along the Danube, and covers altogeth- wards: the rates in the microregions of Szekszárd, er an area of 11 928 km2, which is 12.8% of the Kunszentmiklós, Kalocsa and Baja (7.5–10%) were national territory. The population of this region was above the national average. 3 million 70.8 thousand people in 2007, 30.6% of The main roads and railway lines of the country Hungary’s population; the share of Budapest in this reach to the region of the Danube; in 2007, for in- was more than half (55.4%). It is indicated by the stance, the construction of the was high number of immigrants that this region is the continued. Regional accessibility is therefore, good, it most important migration destination: in 2007, there is the insufficient number of river crossings which still were 13.8 thousand more people moving into than cause a problem. There are 17 bridges over the Dan- migrating away from, this region. ube along its section within Hungary, 3 of these are 40 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY crossing the Slovakian border, 10 are in Budapest, farmsteads, which is also indicated by a significant and only 4 bridges can be found south of the capital. population living in outlying areas. At the time of the Pentele Bridge at Dunaújváros was finished in 2007, 2001 census, 22% of the people living in outlying which will be part of the future M8 motorway. areas in Hungary were residents of municipalities in Regarding the coverage of the sewage network, the Homokhátság (66 914 people). whole region of Duna mente has figures significantly In relation to net migration, this region seems to be better than the national average (87.9% compared in a good situation, because there was a modest sur- to the national 69.8%). The proportion of sewage plus of migrants here in 2007; however, this could be water receiving biological and phase III treatment attributed mostly to the favourable migration figures in was only 44.8% in this region in 2007, while the na- Kecskemét, Balószög and Albertirsa (over 100 immi- tional average calculated without the agglomeration grants). Based on gross added value per capita, the is above 99%. In 2007, Budapest released 87% of level of economic development in the region is rela- all untreated sewage in the country. The water qual- tively low: the GAV per capita (HUF 621 thousand) in ity of the Danube was worse at its exit point than at the region did not reach half of the national value, and its entrance according to biochemical oxygen demand there was only one municipality in Homokhátság which (BOD5) and the Coliform number. On the other hand, had a higher figure than the national average in 2007. the total phosphorus and total nitrogen contents, The agricultural orientation of this region shows clearly which are measures of nutrient load, were more fa- in the number of operating agricultural enterprises vourable at the exit than at the entrance point of the per 1000 inhabitants, which was 3.6 in 2007, ex- river course. ceeding the national average by almost one-third. Only 17% of the total area of Duna mente is covered by forests, only 6 microregions out of 22 had higher Balaton region rates of forest cover than the national average. Es- pecially valuable are the floodplain forests of Gemenc Balaton region covers the area of the Lake Balaton and Szigetköz, the latter are especially endangered Priority Recreation Zone (BKÜ). It is defined by law because of the drop in the water level following the as an area composed of 44 lakeside settlements, 7 earlier diversion of the river course. near-lakeside and 128 background settlements, that is, altogether 179 municipalities. Its total area is Homokhátság 3 886.1 km2, from which lakeside settlements take up 1 318 km2, and places further away from the lake The area of Homokhátság is 4 939.7 km2, its popu- occupy 1 409.1 km2. The region had a population lation was 364 795 people in 2007. Its share from of 263.9 thousand people in 2007. Considering the the national territory is 5.3%, while its share in the whole of the region, the migration balance is negative, total population was only 3.6%, so Homokhátság is 805 more people migrated out than moved into the one of the relatively sparsely populated regions. Its region in 2007, primarily because of the high rates of important feature is a settlement structure rich in out-migration from the background municipalities. 41 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

region in 2007 to a little below 80 thousand, mainly as a consequence of the decrease registered in the lakeside municipalities. In 2007, the was completed all way along the southern shore, its last section under con- struction, between Zamárdi and Balatonszárszó, was almost 15 km long. As a result, any settlement along the southern shore of Balaton may be reached within 2 hours from the direction of the capital. However, there was no railway development. As to public utilities, the coverage of the sewage network reached 87.8% in the settlements on or near the lakeside in 2007, while this was only 53.3% in the background settlements. The amount of mu- nicipal solid waste per inhabitant was especially high In 2007, the gross added value per capita in the around Balaton because of the high number of tour- municipalities that are included in the Lake Balaton ists: with 622.2 kg per capita, it was more than 1.5 Priority Recreation Zone was only a little higher than times more here than the national average (394.7%). half of the national average. The economic perform- Considering only those municipalities which are on ance of the lakeside and the near-lake municipalities or near the lakeside, this figure was even higher, exceeded the performance of the background settle- 884.5 kg per inhabitant. ments by almost 90% in 2007. The total size of protected nature conservation ar- In 2007, income per capita was HUF 677.5 thou- eas of national significance in the Lake Balaton Prior- sand considering the whole of the Balaton region, ity Recreation Zone is 63 185 ha (92% of which is which was 88.2% of the national figure. In the lake- national park), so 16% of the territory of the region side municipalities, it reached the national average, is under protection. 85% of the municipalities in the while in the background settlements it was only about region, and 42 out of the 44 lakeside settlements three-quarters of that. had a monument or historic building of national im- The territorial distribution of tourist traffic in 2007 portance in 2007. Forest coverage in the region is well indicates the strong spatial concentration within 21.8%; and there is a contrast between the 27% the region: the share of the background settlements share of forests in the background settlements and equals a mere 16% of the combined share of lakeside the 11% coverage in the area of the lakeside munici- municipalities, Zalakaros and Hévíz. The share of the palities. The water quality of Lake Balaton is regularly whole of the BPRZ in the total number of visitors was the worst in the Keszthely Bay, improving towards the 20%, with 1.7 million guests. Commercial accommo- eastern end of the lake, and it is almost always the dation capacities continued to decline in the Balaton best in the Siófok Basin. In 2007, the yearly average 42 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

chlorophyll content was higher than it had been in the Border regions years before in all basins of Balaton but Siófok Basin, where it was below 10 mg/l; in the Keszthely Basin it was 27.4 mg/l. There was no occurrence of a par- ticularly bad condition in water quality either in open water or at the beaches.

Border regions

Microregions which have direct border connections and some which are within a few kilometres from a border can be regarded border microregions, al- together 57 microregions. Their combined area is 30 276 km2, 32.5% of the national territory. The to- tal population of these microregion was 2 million 411 Fertőd, Lenti, etc.) had the greatest volumes of tour- thousand people in 2007: 24.0% of the total popula- ist traffic in 2007, while three-quarters of the border tion of Hungary. The migration balance of the border microregions had values below the national average. microregions was a deficit of 8 thousand people in Unemployment rate in 2007 exceeded the nation- 2007, which was 50% higher than in the year be- al average by almost 3 percentage points. The ratio fore. of the registered unemployed was less than 2% in The openness of the economy of the border region the microregion of Sopron-Fertőd, while in 7 border is indicated by the fact that 63% of the capital of microregions in the north-eastern part of Hungary, it corporate enterprises was foreign capital in 2007, was more than 20%. In 2007, the 9 microregions in contrast with the national average of 57%. The with the highest unemployment rates in the country microregions of Szombathely, Szentgotthárd and Es- belonged to this region type. ztergom were characterised by an outstandingly high Due to a greater proportion and number of people ratio, more than 90%, while in the majority of the belonging to national minorities, the number of par- microregions at the Serbian, Romanian and Ukrain- ticipants in minority-nationality and ethnic education ian borders, the share of foreign capital was below is also high; their share is considerably higher than 50%. The region type average of gross added value their percentage nationally. In 2007, 38.4% of pri- per capita was HUF 770 thousand, which was less mary school children, and 1.8% of secondary school than 60% of Hungary’s average. The majority of the students attended minority-nationality schools. The Hungarian Logistic Service Centres can be found in number of civil organisations per 1000 inhabitants the border regions; however, many of these were yet (7.1) was somewhat lower in the border regions than in the developing phase in 2007. Microregions with nationally (7.7). The microregion with the most favour- known attractions (Csepreg, Siklós, Gyula, Sopron- able ratio as well as the one with the worst value could 43 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY be found in this same region type: in the microregion The economic performance of the farmstead re- of Őriszentpéter, there were 14.9 civil organisations gions was half of the national average in 2007 (HUF per 1000 inhabitants, while in the microregion of 1.3 million). The major cities with extensive farmstead Hajdúhadház, there were only 3.6 per 1000 people. areas around them (Nyíregyháza, Debrecen, Kecske- The role of border crossing points in 2007 was re- mét, Zalaegerszeg) had values double the national av- evaluated towards several of the neighbouring coun- erage, while the majority of the typical farmstead set- tries; control became stricter along the Romanian, tlements found in Szabolcs, Nyírség, Homokhátság, Serbian, Croatian and Ukrainian borders, so here the and Kiskunság had values generally below HUF 100 separating function of the border was strengthened. thousand. The proportion of tax payers was 44.1% The density of border crossings was mostly sufficient, in this region type in 2007, which is about equal to it was still the Croatian part of the border which caus- the national average (43.8%), or in fact, it is even es some problems, where there are some longer sec- slightly better. The rate of unemployment is 6.7% in tions without a crossing point because of the Dráva whole region, which is lower than the national rate. river. There were on average, 3 agricultural enterprises per 1000 inhabitants in the farmstead regions, which Farmstead regions was higher than the national average (2 enterprises). Higher agricultural entrepreneurial activity was es- The farmstead settlement system deserves attention as pecially characteristic to the farmstead areas in the a special residential area, as a possible background of Southern Great Plain. sustainable farming, and because of its special condi- The provision of infrastructure in farmstead settle- tions of accessibility and public utility infrastructure. A ments has always been a prominent problem: the municipality which has at least 200 inhabitants, and at least 2% of its total population living on its outlying area Farmstead regions and regions of small can be regarded a farmstead region. There are 280 such municipalities in Hungary. Their total area is 22.2 thousand km2, which is 23.9% of the total national terri- tory. In Hungary, the population living in outlying areas was 298.9 thousand people according to the data from the census held 2001, from this, 223.5 thousand peo- ple lives in the outlying areas of the farmstead regions, that is, three-quarters of the total population living in outlying areas (74.8%). The total population of the mu- nicipalities in farmstead regions was 2 million 496 thou- sand people in 2007, 24.9% of the population of Hun- gary. The migration balance of these regions showed a surplus of 3 400 people in 2007. 44 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY proportion of surfaced roads in the areas within Transdanubian small villages, there was not a single municipal borders was lower than 24%, community registered unemployed person in 2007, there were transport was still underdeveloped, and had further 4 settlements where unemployment rate was above deteriorated due to railway line closures. The con- 50%. The level of income also indicates the back- nectedness of homes to the potable water supply wardness of this region type: income per capita was network is less than 90%, and the coverage of the 62% of the national average in 2007, HUF 493.7 sewage network did not reach 60% either. The situa- thousand. The number of people receiving regular tion was especially bad in those outlying areas where social benefit per 1000 inhabitants was 46 here in a number of places lacked even the supply of electric 2007, which was more than double of the national power. average (19). In 2007, in 16% of the municipalities in this region type, there was not any person receiv- Regions of small villages ing regular social benefit, while there were 9 settle- ments where their numbers per 1000 inhabitants Due to their sizes, small villages are very vulnerable exceeded 200. both from the social and from the economic points In the small villages, there were on average, 6 ag- of view. The lack of jobs and the problems with the ricultural enterprises per 1000 inhabitants, which provision of public services lead to out-migration, or was three times the national figure. This outstanding to the settling in of deprived segments of the popula- value clearly signifies the dominant role of agriculture tion, resulting in their segregation. in the life of small villages. The situation with monu- Regions of small villages are those which contain ment protection is less favourable than elsewhere municipalities with populations lower than 500 inhab- partly due to an insufficient level of surveying, but es- itants. In 2007, 1 044 municipalities in Hungary be- pecially because of the high expenses of protection. longed to this region type, their combined area was Therefore, the proportion of municipalities having 12 061 km2, which is close to 13% of the national a monument of national significance is 54% in this territory. Their total population was 272.9 thousand region type, lower than the national average (68%). people in 2007. In 2007, the net migration deficit Forest cover of the small regions is ex- in the regions of small villages was 2700 people in tensive, on average, 30%; 165 of Hungary’s 343 total, about 600 people more than in 2006. municipalities that had above 50% forest coverage The dependency rate here was by far higher than were small villages in 2007. the national average. In these areas, the combined To attain a sewage network including all housel- number of children under 14 and people over 60 per holds is often technologically irrational in the case of 100 active age (15-59) people was 64.3, while this small villages. Therefore, the level of public utility pro- was around 56.8 people nationally. The unemploy- vision in this region type is more suitably expressed ment rate was about 1.5 times higher here than by the extent of the natural gas supply network. nationally: it was 10.4% in 2007. Territorial dispari- This is 92.6%, only 1 percentage point less than the ties were significant in this regard: while in a few national rate. 45 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

Rural regions inhabited by national minorities In 2007, the share of foreign capital was 55% in this region type, very close to the national figure Minority nationalities populate significantly diverse re- (57%). The microregion of Szentgotthárd stands out gions in Hungary. The preservation and development with a 95%, and share of foreign capital was also of their national identities, cultures and linkages to higher in the microregions of Dabas, Mór and Rétság; the motherlands provide a common basis and pur- while at the bottom of the list, the microregion of pose for their exploration. This region type includes Sellye had only 0.5%. 26 microregions where, according to the data from The percentage of children participating in minor- the census held in 2001, the percentage of minority ity-nationality primary education in 2007 was 14% nationalities in the population was more than double in this region type, only slightly higher than their na- of the national average. During the census in 2001, tional share (12%).The protection of built heritage 103 thousand people declared themselves as belong- in the region is also an important part of preserving ing to a national minority in Hungary. minority-nationality identities: the percentage of mu- Their total area is 13 533 km2, which is 14.5% of nicipalities within this region type which has a monu- the area of Hungary. Their combined population was ment of national significance was 72.8%, 4.5 per- 1 million 267.5 thousand people in 2007, and their centage points higher than the national average in migration balance was positive: there were 1 100 2007; every settlement in the microregions of Gyula more people moving in than migrating away from and had such a monument. these microregions. The highest migration surplus was registered in the microregion of Pilisvörösvár (ap- Regions with high ratios of Romani population prox. 1 300 people). The Romani people, similarly to the other minority Rural regions inhabited nationalities, live in a great variety of regions; it is by national minorites rather difficult to find here a clear-cut geographical pattern. The social-economic problems which affect the majority of the Romani people however, have ter- ritorial consequences, too. In particular, their living conditions and social circumstances impose impera- tive problems in all of these regions. Regions with a high proportion of Romani popula- tion are those where the ratio of people declaring themselves as Romani during the 2001 census is more than the double of the Romani’s proportion on the national level. This means 44 microregions in Hungary. Their combined area is 22 646 km2, which is about one-fifth (24.3%) of the national ter- 46 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

ritory. Their total population was 1 million 387.5 Regions with high ratios of Romani population thousand people in 2007, 13,8% of the population of Hungary. The natural decrease per 1000 inhabitants was 3.8 people in 2007, which was not much worse than the national average (3.5). However, in 2007, from among the 44 microregions, only the microre- gion of Hajdúhadháza had a positive migration bal- ance; a substantial migration deficit characterised this region type in general. In 2007, the number of out-migrants per 1000 inhabitants was 9.2, which, regarding all microregions within this region type, had resulted in a 12.8 thousand total population loss for this year. In 2007, the unemployment rate approached 15% in these microregions, and in 7 microregions, it even ing regular social benefit per 1000 inhabitants was exceeded 20%. The particularly disadvantaged social- 56.3 in this region type, which is almost three times economic situation shows also in the per capita in- higher than the national figure (19.3). come: here it was only about two-thirds of the national The regions with high ratios of Romani population average in 2007, hardly more than half a million forints have mostly underdeveloped infrastructure, concern- (HUF 507 thousand). The situation was the worst in ing pubic utilities as well as transport and accessibil- the microregions of Bodrogköz, Baktalórántháza and ity. The proportion of households connected to the Csenger, where the income per capita did not reach potable water supply network had not reached 90% HUF 400 thousand. The microregion with the highest by 2007 (the national average was 94.7%); and the figure, HUF 677.2 thousand, was that of Salgótarján, percentage of homes connected to the sewage sys- and this was still only 88.2% of the national average. tem was only 45%, while the national average was In 2007, the yearly average number of people receiv- 69.8% in this regard.

47 REGIONAL STATUS REPORT OF HUNGARY

METHODOLOGY on the microregional level. Only the unavailability of data could prevent this, and it also had to be taken into The report relies on data from 2007 and provides the consideration that certain factors are more meaning- territorial-regional analyses of the factor groups and ful on the level of larger territorial entities - therefore indicators related to social, economic, environmental a higher spatial scale is justified in their study. and technological infrastructures which influence the The structure of the report is in line with the ob- spatial structure and which are also defined by the jectives defined in the second, reformed National Regional Development Monitoring and Assessment Spatial Development Concept (OTK) endorsed by the System (T-MER), using the database of the National Parliamentary Decree No. 97/2005. (XII.25.) and Regional Development and Spatial Planning Informa- it investigates the territorial-regional phenomena with tion System (TeIR). The professional foundations of respect to these objectives. In the descriptions of the these analyses were supplied by the annual report on regions, the emphasis is on their specific features regional processes titled “Regional Status Report of and on the national funds they received for regional Hungary, 2007”, prepared in 2009. Due to the ex- development in 2007, as well as on their most signifi- plorative nature and snapshot approach of this status cant projects implemented. The regional disparities report, its purpose is the comprehensive description revealed by means of the major indicators are also of regional processes and phenomena, as well as the presented in a summarising table. presentation of territorial disparities. In addition to the analyses carried out along the The choice of year 2007 could ensure that the data long-term objectives of OTK the conditions of those to be processed were controlled, available and com- special region types are described which were de- parable, and thus the data that were analysed were fined in line with the medium-term goals of the OTK ones that could be compared with the 2006 data. To Comprehending the situation of these special regions ensure regularity and continuity, only those data and means a focus on specific major problem areas of factors were selected and processed, which consti- regional development. tute a system that is easy to follow and is available in As the most versatile instruments for studying spa- the long term, and which makes it possible to refer- tiality, maps received particular significance in this ence back. The majority of the data acquired through status report. Instead of listing data, thematic maps TeIR are from the collection by the Central Statistical are given much emphasis in the portrayal of region- Office (KSH), which was complemented with interna- al differences, which are more informative and can tional data from Eurostat as well as with information present the special “terrains” of the studied indica- gathered from sectoral institutions responsible for tors. A new and colourful add-on to this issue of the specific fields, especially in the case of infrastructure Report is the use of 3D maps, which facilitate the rep- and environmental protection. The selected data were resentation of territorial differences in an even more processed on comparable territorial scales, primarily expressive way.

48 Present publication was commissioned and supported by the Ministry for National Development and Economy. The compilation of the professional material and the coordination of tasks related to publication were carried out by VÁTI Nonprofit Ltd.

Editors: VÁTI Nonprofit Ltd. Spatial Planning and Assessment Directorate, Territorial Analysis, Assessment and Monitoring Department

Thematic experts (NFGM): János Sára Anna Cs. Pavisa dr. Ferenc Tipold Gyula Géczy Anna Sallai

Contributors (VÁTI): Dr. Tamás Czira, Attila Balogh, Zoltán Brodorits Gábor Ginter, Csaba Kiss, Zoltán Kohán, András Nagy, Adrienn Rideg, Pál Selmeczi, Krisztina Sóvágó, Attila Gergely Sütő, Géza Péter Juhász, János Csák, Endre Fáy, Éva Judit Kőrös, Nikolett Németh, Dr. Sarolta Németh

Printing: PrintXBudavár Ltd.

Ministry for National Development and Economy

VÁTI Hungarian Nonprofit Ltd. for Regional Development and Planning

© Ministry for National Development and Economy, VÁTI Nonprofit Ltd., 2009