Demographics In 2015, it had a population of 351,148 and the population density was 62/km2. More than 60% of the population lives in towns. Ethnicity Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 9,500), Slovak (7,500), Romanian (5,000), German (2,500) and Serb (500). Total population (2011 census): 359,948 Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 325,597 persons: Hungarians: 300,213 (92.20%) Gypsies: 9,290 (2.85%) Slovaks: 7,267 (2.23%) Romanians: 5,137 (1.58%) Others and indefinable: 3,690 (1.13%) Approx. 53,000 persons in Békés County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census. Religion Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census: Catholic – 70,307 (Roman Catholic – 69,478; Greek Catholic – 809); Reformed – 46,366; Evangelical – 27,870; Orthodox – 3,491; Other religions – 6,936; Non-religious – 113,094; Atheism – 4,150; Undeclared – 87,734. Regional structure Politics County Assembly The Békés County Council, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 17 councillors, with the following party composition: Presidents of the County Assembly Members of the National Assembly The following members elected of the National Assembly during the 2022 parliamentary election: Municipalities Békés County has 1 urban county, 21 towns, 8 large villages and 45 villages. The regional structure of Békés county is typical of the Great Plain: it has a small number of villages, but those are large, both by area and by population. There are several farmsteads as well. 70% of the population lives in cities and towns, while 17% are in the county seat. A large village network is characteristic of the county which currently has 75 administratively independent settlements, of which 19 are cities and 56 are villages. The oldest towns, and with the largest populations, are: Békéscsaba, the county seat - a city carrying a rank of county right, Orosháza, Gyula, Békés, and Szarvas. City with county rights (ordered by population, as of 2011 census) Békéscsaba (62,050) – county seat Towns Gyula (31,067) Orosháza (29,081) Békés (20,088) Szarvas (16,956) Gyomaendrőd (13,680) Mezőberény (10,632) Sarkad (10,020) Szeghalom (9,290) Dévaványa (7,899) Vésztő (6,986) Mezőkovácsháza (6,177) Battonya (6,042) Tótkomlós (6,016) Füzesgyarmat (5,734) Mezőhegyes (5,712) Kondoros (5,228) Újkígyós (5,196) Csorvás (5,060) Elek (4,927) Körösladány (4,674) Medgyesegyháza (3,698) Villages Almáskamarás Békéssámson Békésszentandrás Bélmegyer Biharugra Bucsa Csabacsűd Csabaszabadi Csanádapáca Csárdaszállás Doboz Dombegyház Dombiratos Ecsegfalva Gádoros Gerendás Geszt Hunya Kamut Kardos Kardoskút Kaszaper Kertészsziget Kevermes Kétegyháza Kétsoprony Kisdombegyház Körösnagyharsány Köröstarcsa Körösújfalu Kötegyán Kunágota Lőkösháza Magyarbánhegyes Magyardombegyház Medgyesbodzás Mezőgyán