In the first month of this year, the slightly negative trend continued: according to the survey conducted by the GKI Economic Research Institute with the support of the EU, the outlook for both the business sector and consumers deteriorated compared to December, although in both cases only within the statistical margin of error. Even so, […]

Hungarian inflation surged in December, with rising fuel and food costs driving consumer prices beyond expectations. The increase presents challenges for monetary policy and has stoked concerns over perceived inflation, as sharp price hikes in key items weigh on household budgets. The Hungarian Central Statistical Office (HCSO) reported a 4.6% annual increase in consumer prices […]

The year 2024 was balanced and successful for Hungary's investment promotion efforts, with partners arriving from 19 countries across three continents, record-breaking number of Hungarian projects, and a significant share of investments in the field of the highest added value activities, Government Commissioner and CEO of the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), Mr. István Joó […]

The volume of industrial production lagged behind by 4.2% in November 2024, production, based on working-day adjusted data lessened by 2.9%, year-on-year, the Central Statistical Office reports. Production has been attenuated in the great majority of the manufacturing subsections, most of all in the manufacture of transport equipment. According to seasonally and working-day adjusted data, […]

Industrial producer prices were 7.9% higher on average in November 2024 than one year earlier. Domestic output prices were 3.2% and non-domestic output prices 10.2% higher than in November 2023. The price rise was primarily caused by the weakening of the Hungarian currency, the forint against the euro and the world market price of energy […]

The value of export lessened by 3.5%, while that of import surpassed by 2.3% in EUR terms the same period of the previous year’s values in November 2024. The balance of the external trade in goods deteriorated by EUR 716 million, the Central Statistical Office reports. Compared to the previous month, the level of trade […]

Hungary has permanently lost EUR 1 billion (USD 1.03 billion) in European Union funds due to its failure to address corruption, marking an unprecedented move by EU authorities in Brussels. This decision represents the first enforcement of such measures in the bloc’s history. The European Commission announced Wednesday that Hungary had forfeited EUR 1 billion […]

The deficit of the general government sector in the third quarter of 2024 was HUF 621 billion, or 3.0% of GDP. The balance is HUF 133 billion, or 0.9 percentage point more favourable than a year earlier, the Central Statistical Office (KSH) reported this Friday. In the 3rd quarter of 2024 compared to the same […]

According to the empirical survey conducted by GKI Economic Research Co. with the support of the EU, the outlook for the business sector deteriorated further in December, but consumers became slightly more optimistic. GKI’s business climate index has been falling in small steps but essentially flat in the second half of this year, slipping to […]

Hungary’s fiercely anti-immigration government is halving the number of guest worker permits to be issued in 2025. With an aging population and a reliance on labor-heavy industries, experts worry that the country may face a critical labor shortage. "Hungary belongs to Hungarians; it will neither become a guest worker country nor a migrant country," the […]

The surplus of the external trade in goods was EUR 1.0 billion, compared to the previous month, the adjusted volume of export lessened by 1.3%, that of import by 1.4%, the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) reports. The volume of export lessened by 0.3% and that of import surpassed the same period of the previous […]

Hungary is setting the stage for a leadership change at the helm of its central bank, as Finance Minister Mihály Varga prepares to step into the role of governor for the National Bank of Hungary. At his parliamentary confirmation hearing, Varga struck a reassuring tone, emphasizing his commitment to the central bank’s independence and the […]

Hungary's currency, the forint, has faced a turbulent year, losing over 7% against the euro so far in 2024. Global financial uncertainty has turned investor attention to the country's economic vulnerabilities, forcing Hungary’s central bank to halt its monetary easing and maintain the EU’s highest borrowing cost, tied with Romania at 6.5%. The latest blow […]

The volume of Hungarian export decreased by 3.5% and that of import by 0.3% compared to the same period of the previous year. The surplus was EUR 949 million, the balance deteriorated by EUR 470 million year-on-year. Compared to August, the adjusted volume of export increased by 0.9% and that of import by 0.8%, the […]

In the third quarter of 2024, Hungarian service exports calculated in EUR were 4.2% and their imports 1.9% higher than in the same period of the previous year. The surplus was EUR 3.5 billion, EUR 280 million more than in the third quarter of 2023, higher even than the record in the corresponding period of […]