A clear majority of Hungarians would support replacing the forint with the euro, according to a new Medián survey, with around three in four respondents backing the introduction of the common European currency. The findings also reveal political divisions, as supporters of the opposition Fidesz party remain far more sceptical than opposition voters.
Most Hungarians favour the euro
The representative survey of 1,000 people found that only 23% of Hungarians believe the country should not be considering euro adoption at this stage. Conversely, roughly three-quarters support joining the eurozone in some form.
Among those in favour, 22% would like Hungary to adopt the euro as soon as possible, while many others believe the transition should only take place after careful preparation. The survey also found that opposition to adopting the euro is more common among older people, residents of smaller settlements and those with lower levels of education.
Political affiliation shapes attitudes
The results show a significant political divide over Hungary’s future currency. Among Fidesz supporters, 63% believe Hungary should not yet be focusing on euro adoption. By contrast, only 6% of supporters of the ruling Tisza Party share that view.
Overall, 92% of Tisza voters support introducing the euro, although most favour a gradual approach. Around 61% say Hungary should only join the eurozone after a lengthy and thorough preparation process.
Researchers noted that this is a huge shift from two decades ago. In a 2006 Medián survey, support for adopting the euro was broadly similar among supporters of the then-governing Socialists and the opposition Fidesz–KDNP alliance. Analysts suggest today’s much wider political gap reflects the former government’s increasingly sovereignty-focused and Brussels-critical messaging in recent years, while the governing Tisza Party’s supporters are overwhelmingly in favour of eventual euro adoption.
Euro support reaches record levels
The findings closely mirror the latest Eurobarometer survey, which also reported exceptionally strong backing for the euro in Hungary. According to that poll, 80% of Hungarians support making the euro the country’s official currency: an increase of five percentage points compared with 2025 and the highest level of support recorded in Hungary to date.
Support has risen dramatically over the past decade. In 2016, only 57% of Hungarians backed adopting the euro. Hungary now stands out among EU countries that have not yet introduced the single currency. While support reaches 80% in Hungary, it stands at 65% in Romania, while in both the Czech Republic and Poland, a majority still oppose adopting the euro.
The Eurobarometer survey also found that 39% of Hungarians would replace the forint as soon as possible, while a further 45% favour introducing the euro according to a predetermined timetable. Only 7% said Hungary should never adopt the euro: a considerably lower figure than in Poland and the Czech Republic, where more than one-third of respondents oppose joining the eurozone altogether.
Government still targets 2030
Although public support continues to grow, Hungary remains some distance from meeting the conditions required to adopt the common currency. Following the general election, Finance Minister András Kármán said the government aims to create the necessary conditions for euro adoption by 2030.
However, economists have cautioned that achieving this goal would require several years of exceptionally disciplined fiscal policy. Market expectations also suggest investors do not anticipate Hungary joining the eurozone as early as 2030 or 2031.
Meanwhile, the European Commission’s latest convergence report concluded that Hungary currently does not meet any of the formal criteria required for adopting the euro.
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