Optimism Has Grown, Yet Fewer People Achieve What They Consider an Average Standard of Living, According to the Equilibrium Institute’s Research on Poverty
According to the Equilibrium Institute’s research on poverty, the financial situation of Hungarians has improved somewhat compared to previous years. Around 70 percent of respondents can heat their homes without difficulty and can regularly afford to consume meat or fish. This represents an improvement of nearly ten percentage points compared to the end of 2023, when inflation had already fallen to a persistently single-digit level and the easing of the energy crisis reduced the financial pressure on households. At the same time, financial security has also improved: compared to 2024, the share of people expecting their household income to increase has more than doubled (from 6 percent to 14 percent).
Meanwhile, the everyday cost of living has also risen noticeably. According to respondents in the research on poverty, the minimum income needed to make ends meet increased from HUF 250,000 (€650) to HUF 300,000 (€780) compared to 2024. The amount needed for an average standard of living rose from HUF 400,000 (€1,040) to HUF 500,000 (€1,300), while the income level associated with a carefree life increased from HUF 600,000 (€1,560) to HUF 700,000 (€1,820).
However, fewer and fewer people are able to achieve what they consider an average or above-average standard of living. In addition, nearly half of Hungarians (47 percent) cannot cover all basic expenses with confidence – whether heating, regular meat consumption, or a larger unexpected cost. Roughly 800,000 people live in severe material deprivation, meaning their possibilities are limited across all three fundamental dimensions of subsistence.
