Hungarians among least likely to travel outside the EU, survey

Findings of a Eurobarometer survey suggest that 81% of Hungarians have never been outside the EU. The E-Communications and Telecom Single Market Household Survey was conducted in 2014 for the European Commission’s request. Eurobarometer surveys aim to monitor the evolution of public opinion in all 28 EU Member States.

The survey was carried out by TNS Opinion & Social network in the 28 Member States of the European Union in January 2014.

Altogether 27,739 participants from the 28 member states took part in the survey. The respondents came from different social and demographic groups.

The participants were interviewed at home in their mother tongue.

One section of this survey targeted the travelling habits of the participants (= Europeans) both within and outside the European Union. The main findings suggest that the majority of EU citizens have visited other EU countries, but are less likely to have travelled outside the EU’s borders.

On the top of the list are Sweden, Denmark and Austria, suggesting that people living in central and Northern areas of the EU are more likely to have been outside the EU at least once. Of course, results might be influenced by the fact that Sweden’s next door neighbour is Norway which is not a member state of the EU, similarly Austria shares borders with Switzerland which is also not an EU member state.

56% of the respondents have never travelled outside the EU suggesting that respondents of the study were less likely to have visited outside the EU.

On the bottom of the list are Romania, Portugal and Hungary.

According to the findings, 19% of Hungarian respondents have been outside the EU, suggesting that 81% have never left the borders of the European Union.

The results are not unexpected considering that the average net wage in Hungary is a little less than EUR 640 (HUF 200,000) per month which might be enough to cover a return ticket to the U.S. or certain parts of Asia, but nothing more. However, we all know that a trip costs way more than just the price of transport.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/index_en