Voluntary Pension Funds Continued to Expand in Q3

The growth in voluntary pension fund contributions and membership continued unabated in the third quarter. Pension funds generated returns above inflation in the first nine months of the year, according to the National Association of Voluntary Funds (ÖPOSZ).

ÖPOSZ's latest sector analysis highlights that, following the positive turnaround a year ago, the number of members of voluntary pension funds continued to rise in the July-September period of 2025, reaching 1.051 million.

Fund members' contributions increased to HUF 75 billion in the first three quarters of the year, which is nearly HUF 10 billion, or 14.5%, higher than a year earlier.

Although the third quarter saw a slowdown in employer contributions, the total amount of more than HUF 35 billion for the first nine months is higher than that measured in the same period of 2024.

Pension funds achieved an estimated return of 2.44% in the third quarter and grew by 9.39% over 12 months, which is a real return of over 5%.

The total assets managed by the funds rose by 8.7% to nearly HUF 2.3 trillion, while the average assets per fund member increased by 7.8%.

"The fourth quarter is traditionally the strongest for pension fund contributions. If we assume, based on a conservative estimate, that the last three months of the year will follow a similar pattern to the third quarter, then contributions of HUF 50 billion can be expected. This means that contributions for the year as a whole could approach HUF 152 billion, following a figure of less than HUF 148 billion in 2024," the statement quotes Lajos Mohr, president of ÖPOSZ.

The popularity of health funds is also growing steadily, with membership increasing to 1.155 million by the end of the third quarter, an increase of 77,500 members in one year.