New survey shows that Hungarians are fearfully poor compared to other EU citizens
Only Romanians, Bulgarians and Greeks are poorer than Hungarians, based on a new survey published recently. That comes after the Hungarian government’s many success statements concerning beating inflation, restarting Hungary’s economy or attracting foreign investments to Hungary. The survey says that financial inequalities are low in Hungarym but almost every Hungarian is much poorer than the average European.
Despite urban legends, income differences in Hungary are not significant: the Hungarian society is poor. That is what Egyensúly Intézet (Balance Institute) said based on their latest survey.
According to 24.hu, 2023 was a catastrophic year for Hungary because of the record-high inflation, the fall in consumption and the technical recession of the Hungarian economy. Even so, government-close media outlets regularly wrote about successes and victories. Márton Nagy, Hungary’s economy minister, said that 2024 will be a happier and more successful year than 2023 was.
However, the government often talks about numbers that are in their favour. Those are inflation (which is decreasing), real wages (increasing) and the employment rate in Hungary, which is very high. Employment is so high that Hungary needs hundreds of thousands of guest workers to keep the economy alive and work in the factories and plants of Eastern investors.
But nobody talks about another crucial factor: how many Hungarians can have a comfortable life with their income. Egyensúly Intézet researched the answer, but it will not make you happy.
Could you live your life with less than EUR 650/month income?
According to their recently published poverty research, Hungarians having an income of EUR 650 per month or less can live with difficulties. Those having a monthly income between EUR 650 and 910 can have an average life. However, Hungarians need EIR 1,560 or more for to be well-off. But only very few earn that much.
Based on the survey, 3% of Hungarians do not have an income, and 47% get less than EUR 650 per month. That is 50% altogether. Another 24% can live an average life with an income between EUR 650 and 910.
Tamás Boros, the institute’s director, said income differences in Hungary are like in a Scandinavian state: not considerable. Every segment of the Hungarian society is poorer than their European counterparts. The only exceptions are Greece, Romania and Bulgaria.
For example, 25% of the people the survey asked would not be able to pay a HUF 100,000 (EUR 260) extra expenditure. 35% of the Hungarians struggle to pay utilities. 34% of people cannot eat meat or fish every second day. 25% of the Hungarian households can barely make ends meet each month, while 67% struggle doing so.
The rate of poor people in Hungary is somewhere between 1/3rd and 1/4th.
Egyensúly Institute said the Hungarian government would not start programs focusing on helping poor people because they believe the general economic growth would make everybody richer.
But data shows that despite the economic growth between 2013 and 2019, European countries could advance more than Hungary. After 2020, the crisis hit Hungarians hard, and poverty increased significantly.
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11 Comments
When will Fidesz put out its’ “Five Year Plan” complete with colourful charts showing impressive growth in various industries just like under the Kadar regime? If you are not living well and you don’t know who to blame you are just an idiot.
We will have soon comments here that this is a left statistics and the reality is other and bla bla bla. The true is that the average salaries that Hungarian government provides, it is just that, an average, there are some people making good money, either they are involved in great IT Projects or they are friends of the “leader” of Hungary. There is a lot of people doing less than 800 euros per month. Some has to have a part time contract to receive full payments with less tax deduction. Do the math of average rent plus transport plus shopping and you will find how difficult is to survive here.
‘The Rich get Richer and the POOR get Poorer.”
The widening of the Social gap, in Hungary is MASSIVE.
It’s worsening, as our Economy, “slides” deeper in it’s un-known Nadir, the deep black hole, created by the Present Government of Hungary, under Victor Orban that it DESENDS.
There is NO buffer, that will “put on hold” the widening of the Social Gap.
It is a factual happening in Hungary, that going back prior to February 2020, the arrival of the Corona Virus pandemic, it was talked of, written on, that the Victor Orban/Mihaly Varga way of running Hungary – Economically & Financially, was one, that was going to have massive ramifications in Hungary, over time, that would IMPACT on the Social Gap.
It’s HAPPENED and WORSENS.
Lies, damned lies, and statistics. Yes, Hungarians’ income may be low but so is our cost of living. Germans, perfectly average people, can’t afford to heat their homes and are having to congregate in gym halls to not freeze to death. Can we say the same of Hungarians? Do we pay a minimum of $180 per month in “council tax” the way the Brits do? Taking the subway costs a buck; find me another capital European city where you can do the same. And on it goes. These “statistics,” published by who knows whom, do not tell the whole story. They rarely ever do.
Orbánistan, what else?
“Germans can’t afford to heat their homes” seems like we have comedians among the ones who post comments here… Obviously well indoctrinated comedians. After all, with the Regime controlling 90 % of all the media….what to expect?
Reminds me of Communist time in Eastern Europe and the correspondents of state tv broadcasting from the U.S. : you see this crowd of people behind me? They are all Americans asking me how they can apply to obtain asylum in our Socialist Paradise…
From Communism to Orbánism: two faces of the same coin.
FACT – Steiner Michael, it was “Trending” prior to February 2020, the arrival of the Covid Pandemic globally and commenced, the destruction, chaos, widening of the Social Gap, in growing factual existence, that POVERTY in Hungary, back in February 2020 and prior, under the Victor Orban / Mihaly Varga plan(s) – in the Economic & Financial direction(s) they had sent Wrongfully Hungary, that “Propelled” the “rubbery” at that point in time Hungarian Economy – February 2020, into free-fall.
Victor Orban & Mihaly Varga – they by Economic & Financial ” brains” of greater intelligence than they believed or thought they had – they had been “Put on Notice” just not on one occasion, but in number, the Orban/Varga – direction they had JOINTLY “signed off” on for Hungary, was FRAUGHT with DANGERS.
The BIG winners, the experts, the respected – the gifted “Learned” individuals, not solely from in-side Hungary, but Europe and Globally, that Orban/Varga just DISMISSED and continued to send Hungary into the Financial & Economic cataclysmic MESS we factually are to-day.
We are living NEVER forget the word ‘Veiled” by Orban & Varga in a country that has been REMAINS in a RECESSION.
Recession – Hungary it’s been the FACT post February 2020.
Recession, it REMAINS and it’s Nadir, still has NO end in sight to cease the that could maybe would add some “Vitamins” to the SICKENED – Economic & Financial “dark” gargantuan black hole, presently reflective FACTUALLY of and in Hungary.
Poverty – place it under Social In-equality, the BIG picture EXPOSED – factually, is that as the Economic & Financial position of Hungary – going deeper into that ” Blackened Hole” – not helped by the on-going un-certainty of Hungary’s membership in the European Union, the “fragmentation” caused by Orban on the “funding” European Union matter on the Ukraine, his “turn around”, and the NATO “reversal” on Sweden, developeing sanctions on Hungary by the United States of America – these FACTS – that HAVE – caused “un-ease” with Orbans what was a DEEPENING relationship(s) with Russia & China.
Hungary – don’t hold your breath for funding from the European Union in the immediate future as BRUSSELS – don’t forget – the European Union – still waits for the AGREEMENT by the Orban led Government that they HUNGARY will COMPLY to all the rules and LAWS of being a Member country of the FAMILY’ of European Country’s.
Wow – imagine if Orban does an “about turn” a back flip was to 100% comply to Brussels – the European Union, personally he would as he is at present, through his ‘Turn Arounds” – walking a PLANK that is HUMONGOUSLY bowed, nearly on the water level, that circling in the waters – if and when the PLANK “disintegrates” breaks – “succumbs to the “Weight” burden – the “luggage” carried on the shoulders of Victor Orban – the actions, the “Banquet” of what circle in those dark deep waters, the mind PONDERS, what the aftermath factually may be.
Red – the colour represents Love & Passion, but the waters, the colour change representative of the “Favoured” Colours of Russia & China, certainly not a pretty picture.
Poverty grows in Hungary – FACT.
Micheal, “your” cost of living is not low, you do not live here.
Concur – Miche.
Steiner Michael and marievontheresa – both FULLY paid members of the Fidesz Political Party but reside outside of Hungary.
If they “thought” outside the Square – not being one dimensional in there Political “alignments” to the Orban / Fidesz Party, what a cataclysmic MESS it has us in as a country, and LIVED here amongst us, at the “Coal Face” living, seeing experiencing – the SHAMBOLIC destruction caused by Orban/ Fidesz, they would have a “Better” feel, for there “Adorned” Leader – the Leader of the Fidesz Party, the on-going destruction, the humiliation of the proud name Hungary – he Orban/Fidesz are in FACT totally responsible for.
I love how they compare countries that were imprisoned for 40 years – while most of Europe recovered from the war by the US – unlike the EU, no dues and demands to change the culture.
Which “culture”, Tm? The one of those pardoning a convicted pedophile while constantly preaching about family and ” Chhristian values” ? The same ones pretending there is freedom of opinion in Hungary while they control 90% of the media making sure the few really free media are systematically shut down? The ones speaking of Hungary and Hungarians first but selling the country away to Russia and others. And yet the same ones who talk of prosperity while Hungarians are poorer than 15 years ago ( unique case in former Communist Europe ) but they themselves, their families and oligarch friends are richer and richer? This culture? The culture of the ones talking of how pro-Jewish they are while in fact they are simply on the side of a mad criminal commiting genocide in Palestine and at the same time they, again the Hungarian prophets of your culture they award anti-semitic pseudo-intelectuals? Keep it this “culture”, we do not need it. It is not culture, it is pure trash.