Full-time employees’ average gross earnings were HUF 840,600 and average net earnings reached HUF 585,700 in January 2026. Average gross earnings grew by 26.3%, net average earnings increased by 28.0% and real earnings were 25.4% higher than a year earlier. The payment of the “service premium” (the so-called “firearms money”) for the army and the law enforcement personnel corresponding to six-month salary contributed to the sharp increase in average earnings. This effect explains 18.0 percentage points of the rise in gross average earnings.
Inflation remains below 2 percent
Consumer prices were 1.8% higher on average in March 2026 than a year earlier. Over one month, consumer prices rose by 0.4% on average.
Retail sales up 3.8 percent
In February 2026, the volume of retail trade in both raw and calendar-adjusted data was 3.8% higher than in the same month of the previous year. Compared to the same period of the previous year, calendar-adjusted sale volumes expanded by 2.2% in specialized and ...
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Industrial production down by 1.5 percent
The volume of industrial production lagged behind the one year earlier level by 1.5% in February 2026. The working day adjusted index is equal to the non-adjusted one. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted data, industrial output was 1.8% lower than in January 2026.
Industrial producer prices 3.3 percent lower on average in February
Industrial producer prices were 3.3% lower on average in February 2026 than one year earlier. Domestic output prices lessened by 3.1% and non-domestic ones by 3.3% compared to February 2025. Compared to the previous month, domestic output prices were 0.3% and non-domestic output prices ...
Trade balance worsens
The surplus of the external trade in goods was EUR 665 million in February, the volume of export decreased by 2.3%, that of import grew by 6.7% compared to the same period of the previous year.
Number of tourists keeps expanding
In February 2026, nearly 1.1 million guests spent 2.4 million tourism nights at tourist (commercial, private and other) accommodation establishments. Tourist arrivals were up by 4.6% and tourism nights by 5.2% in number compared to a year earlier. In January-February 2026, domestic arrivals at ...
Unemployment rate up to 4.8 percent
In February 2026, the average number of employed persons aged 15–74 was 4 million 616 thousand. The number of unemployed persons was 231 thousand and the unemployment rate was 4.8%
Construction output drops significantly
Construction output volume, based on raw data was 11.4% lower than a year earlier, according to working day adjusted data decreased by 9.6% in January 2026. Among the main construction groups the construction of buildings lessened by 9.6%, that of civil engineering by 14.5%. ...
Industrial production down by 2.5 percent
The volume of industrial production declined by 2.5%, while based on working-day adjusted data it increased year-on-year by 0.3% in January 2026. A production setback occurred in the great majority of the manufacturing subsections. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted data industrial output was ...
Inflation slows to a mere 1.4 percent
Consumer prices were 1.4% higher on average in February 2026 than a year earlier. Over one month, consumer prices rose by 0.1% on average.
Most read articles Economy
Industrial producer prices 3.3 percent lower on average in February
Industrial producer prices were 3.3% lower on average in February 2026 than one year earlier. Domestic output prices lessened by 3.1% and non-domestic ones by 3.3% compared to February 2025. Compared to the previous month, domestic output prices were 0.3% and non-domestic output prices ...
Retail sales up 3.8 percent
In February 2026, the volume of retail trade in both raw and calendar-adjusted data was 3.8% higher than in the same month of the previous year. Compared to the same period of the previous year, calendar-adjusted sale volumes expanded by 2.2% in specialized and ...
Earnings continue to rise
Full-time employees’ average gross earnings were HUF 840,600 and average net earnings reached HUF 585,700 in January 2026. Average gross earnings grew by 26.3%, net average earnings increased by 28.0% and real earnings were 25.4% higher than a year earlier. The payment of the ...
Most commented articles Economy
Industrial output down 5.8 percent in November
Hungarian industrial output dropped by an annual 5.8 percent in November, after falling by 3.2 percent in the previous month, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) said on Tuesday.
Cooperation with India in Hungary’s ‘fundamental interest’, minister says
Hungary has a fundamental interest in forging the strongest possible cooperation with India, the foreign minister said after talks with counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Hungary has EUR 583 million trade surplus in January
Hungary had a 583 million euro trade surplus in January, after the balance turned negative for the first time in almost a year in December, a second reading of data released by the Central Statistics Office (KSH) on Tuesday shows.
