In addition to the traditional mass organizations, a myriad of other officially approved clubs and associations focused narrowly on such areas as agriculture, architecture, history, mathematics, music, the sciences, and so forth. A survey in the early 1980s counted 6,570 cultural, professional, and sports associations (63 percent of which had been established after 1945), with a total of 2.3 million members. The largest associations were the Hungarian Autoclub, with about 291,000 members in late 1982, and the National Association of Stamp Collectors, with approximately 157,000 members. Also worthy of note was the Home Defense Sport Federation, which promoted physical fitness for the masses and sponsored premilitary training for young people. Many Hungarians were also avid sports fans and participants. In 1985 more than 1.2 million persons belonged to the country's 3,860 sports clubs. The most popular sport was soccer. Chess was also widely played.

Data as of September 1989