How Much Money Left at the End of the Month?

A growing number of Hungarians are facing a challenge to survive on their income, with 27% of the population unable to save at all. This trend is getting worse year by year, and Hungarians are not doing well in international comparisons among the countries participating in the research – this is revealed by the international research covering nine countries commissioned by the parent company of Provident Financial Ltd.

The data draw attention to the worrying extent of financial vulnerability, which has not only economic but also social consequences: an unexpected expense or loss of income would already mean a serious crisis for many.

The frustration due to income and wealth inequalities experienced in recent years, as well as the high rate of inflation, have significantly increased the social gap. According to the representative research, almost half of the Hungarian population (47.7%) can only save 20% of their income at the end of the month. The situation is particularly worrying for those who are completely unable to save: currently, 27.1% of respondents live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to save at all. This proportion is constantly rising: in 2022 it was “only” 21.1%, in 2023 and 2024 it exceeded 25%, and this year the proportion of those unable to save reached 27.1%. The differences are also striking in international comparison: while in Provident’s other European markets – Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania – an average of 18.6% are unable to save, the Hungarian figures are the worst of the four countries.

Hungarians can also see large differences in the frequency of savings among the population. The largest proportion (32.4%) is represented by those who, although they were not able to save money every month or most months, managed to save occasionally when they had the opportunity. This suggests that although their financial situation did not always allow for regular savings, they tried to improve their financial situation from time to time.

29.2% of the population did not save money at all in the past year. Their situation highlights the challenges of the changing economic environment and the inability to save due to constantly rising expenses. This group is particularly vulnerable, as they become completely vulnerable in the event of an unexpected expense, unable to cover it from their empty bank account.

20.8% of respondents tried to save every month or most months, but the amount was not fixed – so their savings were not conscious, but rather occasional. The smallest group (12.6%) was those who set aside a predetermined amount every month or most months, which would be optimal for achieving financial stability.

A significant portion of the population would be severely vulnerable if they suddenly lost their main source of income. According to the research, only 12.2% of respondents feel that they would be able to cover their expenses for more than a year from their savings, and 6.2% believe that their financial reserves would last for a full year, but these two groups combined do not even reach one fifth of the respondents.

Most worryingly, 21.3% of those surveyed have no savings or any financial reserves at all. This means that one in five people would be in financial trouble almost immediately in the event of an unexpected loss of income – for example, due to job loss, illness or family crisis.