The Tisza government has submitted a revised 2026 budget that dramatically increases both state revenues and expenditure, while the projected deficit rises to HUF 7,110 billion (approx. EUR 19 billion), which is far above the figure originally approved under the previous government.
New government unveils dramatically revised budget
Hungary’s Ministry of Finance submitted the revised 2026 budget to Parliament on 31 August, just before the deadline. The overhaul was deemed necessary after the new government reviewed the country’s finances following the April change of government, 444.hu writes.
The previous administration had approved the 2026 budget last summer, based on assumptions that have since proved unrealistic, including economic growth of more than 4% and a significantly lower deficit.
According to the revised figures, the state is now expected to collect HUF 41,915 billion in revenue this year, compared with HUF 39,562 billion in the original budget.
At the same time, expenditure is projected to reach HUF 49,025 billion, up from HUF 43,781 billion. This leaves a projected deficit of HUF 7,110 billion, compared with the HUF 4,218 billion originally budgeted.
The government plans to reduce the deficit-to-GDP ratio to around 7.5% by the end of the year, compared with the 8.3% figure identified during its review of the inherited budget.
EU funds expected to boost revenue
One of the biggest changes on the revenue side is the amount expected to come from EU programmes. The revised budget forecasts HUF 3,708 billion in revenue from EU programmes, more than double the HUF 1,800 billion originally planned.
However, several other revenue streams are now expected to perform worse than initially forecast. Corporate tax revenue is projected to be almost HUF 250 billion lower than originally planned, while excise duty revenue is expected to fall by around HUF 220 billion. VAT revenue is forecast to come in nearly HUF 400 billion below the original estimate.
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State assets and other spending drive expenditure higher
Expenditure has increased much more sharply than revenue. The largest increase concerns spending related to state assets, which is now expected to exceed HUF 1,770 billion, more than HUF 1,400 billion above the original allocation.
This is particularly notable because only around HUF 120 billion had actually been spent from this budget line during the first half of the year, suggesting significantly higher spending could take place during the second half.
Other expenditure is also expected to rise by almost HUF 1,000 billion to around HUF 1,540 billion, while interest payments are also projected to be somewhat higher. Spending connected to EU programmes is expected to reach HUF 3,467 billion, also above the amount originally budgeted.
Government increases emergency reserves
The revised budget also strengthens the state’s reserves by a total of HUF 756 billion. Around HUF 500 billion will go towards a newly established Havaria Fund, designed to help deal with challenges including drought and the energy crisis.
A further roughly HUF 250 billion will increase contingency reserves, which had previously stood at less than HUF 750 billion. At the same time, the government plans to save around HUF 120 billion on spending by central budgetary institutions and centrally managed appropriations, reducing the planned amount from HUF 13,550 billion to HUF 13,427 billion.
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What about the promised extra money for healthcare?
The revised budget also provides a clearer picture of one of the Tisza government’s major election promises: increasing state healthcare funding by HUF 500 billion a year. The answer is more complicated than the headline figure might suggest.
According to Portfolio, the revised budget increases the Health Insurance Fund’s expenditure allocation from around HUF 4,945 billion to more than HUF 5,112 billion, representing an increase of approximately HUF 167 billion. Compared with the actual HUF 4,902 billion spent by the fund in 2025, the new allocation represents an increase of around HUF 210 billion.
The healthcare treatment and prevention budget rises from HUF 2,886 billion in the original 2026 budget to HUF 3,004 billion in the revised version — an increase of only around HUF 50 billion compared with the previous government’s original plan. The figures therefore depend heavily on what is being compared.
For example, spending on combined specialist healthcare services is projected at HUF 1,409 billion in the revised 2026 budget. Compared with the HUF 909 billion originally allocated for 2025, this represents an increase of exactly HUF 500 billion.
However, the previous government had already increased this spending allocation significantly for 2026, meaning the entire HUF 500 billion increase cannot be attributed to the new government.
The revised budget therefore does not provide a straightforward HUF 500 billion increase in healthcare spending attributable to the Tisza government. The promised 20–25% pay rise for healthcare professionals also cannot yet be clearly identified in the revised 2026 budget.
