Hungary has 22 regional trade and professional associations, Also, there are 7,532 industrial, agricultural, and foreign trade organizations in the country. A chamber of commerce located in the capital promotes Hungary's goods and services in world markets.

The Act on Cooperatives, passed 6 January 1992, allows members of cooperatives to profit from their actions within cooperatives. As of 1992, the largest cooperatives in Hungary were: general consumer and seller cooperatives (AFESZ) with over one million members. Trade and professional associations exist representing a variety of occupations, including the steel and automotive workers, journalists, teachers, librarians, engineers, architects, and various medical professionals. Organizations promoting research and study of various medical and scientific fields also exist. Some of these are member organizations of the Federation of Hungarian Medical Societies and/or the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The multinational scientific organization of the International Measurement Confederation is based in Budapest.

Notable national youth organizations include the Federation of Young Democrats of Hungary, the Goncol Environmental Youth Alliance, the National Union of Hungarian Students, and Young Musicians of Hungary. The Hungarian Scout Association is also active, as are various chapters of the YMCA/YWCA. National women's organizations include the Association of Hungarian Women and the National Council of Hungarian Women. The Red Cross has active chapters in the country.

The foundations for modern Hungarian literature begin with the movement known as the Period of Linguistic Reform, whose leaders were the versatile writer Ferenc Kazinczy (1759–1831) and Ferencz Kölcsey (1790–1838), lyric poet and literary critic. Among the outstanding literary figures was Dániel Berzsenyi (1772–1836) of the Latin School. Károly Kisfaludy (1788–1830) founded the Hungarian national drama. Mihaly Vörösmarty (1800–55), a fine poet, related the Magyar victories under Árpád in his Flight of Zalán. He was followed by Hungary's greatest lyric poet, Sándor Petöfi (1823–49), a national hero who stirred the Magyars in their struggle against the Habsburgs in 1848 with his Arise Hungarians. Another revolutionary hero was Lajos Kossuth (1802–94), orator and political author. János Arany (1817–82), epic poet and translator, influenced future generations, as did Mór Jókai (1825–1904), Hungary's greatest novelist. The outstanding dramatist Imre Madách (1823–64) is known for his Tragedy of Man. Endre Ady (1877–1919) was a harbinger of modern poetry and Western ideas. Lyric poets of the contemporary era include László Nagy (1925–78), János Pilinszky (1921–81), and Ferenc Juhász (b.1928). Gyula Illyés (1902–83), a poet, novelist, and dramatist, was one of the outstanding figures of 20th-century Hungarian literature. Ferenc Molnár (1878–1952) is known for his plays Liliom, The Swan, and The Guardsman. György Lukács (1885–1971) was an outstanding Marxist writer and literary critic. Hungarian-born Arthur Koestler (1905–83), a former radical, was a well-known anti-Communist novelist and writer.

János Fadrusz (1858–1903) and József Somogyi (1916–93) are among Hungary's best-known sculptors. The outstanding Hungarian painter Mihály Munkácsy (1844–1900) is best known for his Christ before Pilate. Victor Vasarely (1908–97), a world-famous painter of "op art," was born in Budapest and settled in France in 1930. Miklós Ybl (1814–91) was a leading architect; and Gyula Halasz (1899–1984), better known as Brassai, was a well-known photographer. The Hungarian-born Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911) was a noted journalist and publisher in the US. Hungarian musicians include the composers Franz (Ferenc) Liszt (1811–86), Ernst (Ernö) von Dohnányi (1877–1960), Béla Bartók (1881–1945), and Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967), violinists Jeno Hubay (1858–1937) and Joseph Szigeti (1892–1973), and pianists Lili Kraus (1903–86) and Erwin Nyiregyhazi (1903–87). Renowned Hungarian-born conductors who became famous abroad include Fritz Reiner (1888–1963), George Széll (1897–1970), Eugene Ormándy (1899–1985), Antal Doráti (1906–88), and Ferenc Fricsay (1914–63). Miklós Jancsó (b.1921) is a distinguished film director, and Vilmos Zsigmond (b.1930) a noted cinematographer; Béla Lugosi (Blasko, 1882–1956) and Peter Lorre (Laszlo Loewenstein, 1904–64) were famous actors.

Notable scientists include Lóránd Eötvös (1848–1919), inventor of torsion balance; Ányos Jedlik (1800–95), known for his research on dynamos; and the psychoanalyst Sándor Ferenczi (1873–1933). Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (1818–65) pioneered in the use of antiseptic methods in obstetrics. Béla Schick (1877–1967) invented the skin test to determine susceptibility to diphtheria.

Hungarian-born Nobel Prize winners are Róbert Bárány (1876–1936) in 1914, Albert Szent-Györgyi (1893–1986) in 1937, and Georg von Békésy (1899–1972) in 1961 in physiology or medicine, Georg de Hevesy (1885–1966) in 1944 in chemistry, and Dénés Gábor (1900–79) in 1971 for physics. Budapest-born scientists who contributed to atomic research in the US were Leó Szilárd (1898–1964), Eugene Paul Wigner (1902–95), John von Neumann (1903–57), and Edward Teller (b.1908). Theodore van Karman (Todor Kármán, 1881–1963) is the father of aerodynamics.

Imre Nagy (1895?–1958) served as prime minister from 1953 to 1955, but was removed from office because of his criticism of Soviet policy; the uprising of October 1956 briefly brought Nagy back to the premiership. Arrested after the Soviet military intervention, Nagy was tried and executed in 1958. János Kádár (1912–89), first secretary of the HSWP since 1956, initially aligned himself with Nagy but subsequently headed the government established after Soviet troops rolled in. Kádár, who held the premiership from late 1956 to 1958 and again from 1961 to 1965, was the preeminent political leader in Hungary until his removal in May 1988. Gyula Horn (b.1932), a former communist, was named prime minister in 1994.

Hungary's National Archives were established in 1756. Heavily damaged in World War II, the collection has been reorganized; among its treasures are some 100,000 items from the period prior to the Turkish occupation (1526). Hungary's National Széchényi Library is the largest and most significant in the country. Founded in Budapest in 1802, it has more than 2.5 million books and periodicals and more than 4.5 million manuscripts, maps, prints, and microfilms. Other important libraries are the Lóránd Eötvös University Library (1,500,000 volumes) and the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2.1 million volumes), both in Budapest; and the Central Library of the Lajos Kossuth University in Debrecen (1.27 million volumes). As of 1997, there were 3,518 regional public libraries located throughout the country.

There were over 500 museums (about 70 in Budapest) and many zoological and botanical gardens. One of the largest institutions is the Hungarian National Museum, which displays relics of prehistoric times as well as artifacts reflecting the history of Hungary from the Magyar conquest through 1849, including the Hungarian coronation regalia. A branch of the National Museum is the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Other museums, all in Budapest, include the Ethnographical Museum, the Museum of History, the Hungarian National Gallery, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Many castles and monasteries throughout the country have been converted to museums. There is also a Bela Bartok Museum, a Chinese Museum, a House of Terror museum(2002), and a Franz Lizst Memorial Museum and Research Center, all in Budapest.

Budapest is the principal communications center. In 1997, there were 3 million main line telephones. A 1999 report showed an additional 1.2 million mobile cellular phones in use. Although telecommunication services in Hungary were long underdeveloped, services improved significantly during the 1990s, and investment in value-added services, such as the Internet and VSAT, grew. As of 1999 Hungary had 32 AM and 15 FM radio stations and 39 television stations. In 2000 there were 690 radios and 437 television sets for every 1,000 people in Hungary. The same year, there were about 85 personal computers for every 1,000 people and 16 Internet service providers, who were serving about 1.2 million users in 2001.

Budapest has always been Hungary's publishing center.The constitution of Hungary provides for free speech and a free press, and the government is said generally to respect these rights. Although previously all means of communication had been government property, 1995 saw the beginning of the privatization process, with aims to put most print and broadcast media in private hands. 

Although the housing stock increased from 3,122,000 units in 1970 to 3,846,000 in 1986, construction has not kept pace with the needs of Hungary's growing and increasingly urbanized population. The construction rate for new dwellings has been greater in smaller cities and towns than in Budapest, where as of 1980, 17.3% of all housing units were built before 1900 and 56.3% before 1945. In 1990, 57% of all housing units were made of brick, 22% were adobe, 14% were panel, and 7% were concrete. According to national statistics, in 2001 there were about 4,087,000 dwelling units nationwide. About 20,320 new dwellings were completed in 2000; about 31,511 dwellings were completed or under construction in 2001. Most homes have an average of four rooms. As of 2001, about 89.8% of all dwellings were linked to public water systems; about 44.1% of dwellings were linked to public sanitation systems.

Low-income reisdents and other private builders generally rely on the labor of family and friends, buying the essential materials little by little; they may apply for loans if necessary to complete the dwelling. In 1990, 76% of all dwellings were owner occupied and 24% were rented.

Virtually the entire adult population is literate. For the year 2000, adult illiteracy was estimated at 0.6% (males, 0.5%; females, 0.7%). Eight years of primary and four years of secondary education are free. The state also pays the bulk of costs for higher education. Before education was nationalized in 1948, most schools were operated by religious bodies, especially the Roman Catholic Church. The educational system is under the control of the Ministry of Education and is supervised by the local councils, which receive financial assistance from the central government. As of 1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 4.6% of GDP.

Between 1945 and 1962, eight years of schooling for children from 6 to 14 years of age was compulsory. In 1962, compulsory education was extended for two additional years, for children from 6 to 16. In 1996, there were 507,238 pupils enrolled in elementary schools. In the same year, secondary schools enrolled 1,112,149 students. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 11 to 1 in 1999. In the same year, 90% of primary-schoolage children were enrolled in school, while 87% of those eligible attended secondary school. In addition to its regular primary education, Hungary has over 100 primary schools with special music programs based on the pedagogy of the 20th-century composer Zoltan Kodály; at these "music primary schools," music receives as much emphasis as all other subjects.

Hungary has about 77 institutions of higher education, including 10 universities, nine technical schools, and colleges offering agricultural and vocational training. In 1996 tertiary institutions had a total of 194,607 students. Adult education expanded after World War II, especially through workers' schools and correspondence courses. Although there are university fees, many students are exempt from payment or pay reduced fees.

The Ministry of Health administers the state health service, with the counties and districts forming hospital regions. By the end of 1974, 99% of the population was covered by social insurance and enjoyed free medical services; those few not insured pay for medical and hospital care. Limited private medical practice is permitted. In 1992, the Ministry of Welfare proposed a compulsory health care scheme based on the German system, to be administered by the National Health Security Directorate. After the termination of socialism in 1989, the Hungarian health system was largely unchanged. About 5% of clinics were privatized and health care was available to nearly all of Hungary's people. Health expenditures comprised an estimated 6.8% of the gross domestic product as of 1999.

As of 1999, there were an estimated 3.2 physicians and 8.3 hospital beds per 1,000 people. In 1993, there were 4,504 pharmacists, 4,267 dentists, and 2,695 midwives. There were 110,965 births in 1999. In 2002, Hungary's birthrate was estimated at 9 per 1,000 people. Contraceptives were used by an estimated 73% of married women (15–49) as of 2000. Average life expectancy was 71 years in 2000. Free professional assistance given to insured pregnant women and to the mothers of newborn children, maternity leave and grants, and improved hygienic conditions helped lower the infant mortality rate to 9 per 1,000 live births in 2000. As of 2000, the total fertility rate was 1.3 per woman during her childbearing years.

The country faces severe problems in maintaining an acceptable level of health care for its population. The UN considers its death rate unacceptable (13 per 1,000 in 1999). The heart disease occurrence is below the average for wealthier countries. The likelihood of death after age 65 from heart disease was 283 (male) and 283 (female) per 1,000 people during 1990–1993. The number of cardiovascular deaths in 1994 was 74,182 people. Arteriosclerosis is a major cause of death (100 per 100,000 people). Contributing factors include the incidence of cardiovascular disease, which is directly related to stress through pressures of work, together with smoking and dietary factors. Hungary has one of the highest smoking rates in Europe. Between 1986 and 1994 nearly 50% of men and 25% of women were smokers. In 1990, there were 40 reported cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 people. In 1997, children up to one year old were vaccinated against tuberculosis, 100%; diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 100%; polio, 100%; and measles, 100%.

Compulsory testing for HIV has been widespread since 1988 in Hungary's attempt to stop the spread of AIDS. Hungary has resisted pressure from international agencies to switch from compulsory to voluntary testing. As of 1999, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was estimated at 2,500 and deaths from AIDS that year were estimated at fewer than 100. HIV prevalence was 0.05 per 100 adults.