Structural instability, which is often referred to as buckling, is a major concern for the safe and reliable design of composite structures. Thin-walled composite structures are vulnerable to buckling. The problem is exacerbated when a hole in a thinwalled composite structure significantly reduces the buckling strength of the structure. Therefore, the objective of the current research is to reduce the significant drop in buckling strength due to the hole by hybridizing with a stiffer material. Basalt fiber reinforced plastics (BFRP) was used for the current research work because it exhibits mechanical properties comparable with those of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) but at a reduced price, making it a prospective substitute for GFRP. Experimental and numerical methods were employed to study the buckling behavior of seven different hybrid laminates. A strut buckling apparatus was used for the experimental work. Furthermore, non-linear buckling analysis in combination with eigenvalue buckling analysis was used to estimate the non-linear behavior of the composite. It was found that the hybridization of BFRP with carbon fiber reinforced plastics is effective in reducing the effect of a hole in the buckling strength reduction. Furthermore, the buckling resistance is influenced by the orientation of outer plies, the location of the stiffer material in the laminate and the location of less stiff material in the laminate. © 2021 ICE Publishing. All rights reserved.