Hungary the 4th poorest in the European Union

Based on the actual consumption of households Hungary was the fourth poorest country in the European Union in 2013, according to Eurostat data published on Thursday. Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) in Hungary was 62% of the EU28 average last year.

Actual Individual Consumption (AIC) is a measure of material welfare of households. In 2013, AIC per capita expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) varied from 49% to 136% of the EU28 average across the Member States.

The highest level of Actual Individual Consumption per capita in the EU28 was recorded in Luxembourg, at more than 35% above the EU28 average. Germany and Austria were around 20% above the average and Denmark, Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and France recorded levels between 10% and 15% above the average, while Italy was on the average.

In Ireland, Cyprus and Spain, levels were up to 10% below the EU28 average, while Portugal, Greece and Malta were between 10% and 20% below. Lithuania, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were between 20% and 30% below the average, while Estonia, Latvia, Hungary and Croatia were between 30% and 40% below. Romania was just under 40% below the average, while Bulgaria was around 50% below the average.

There are more countries below the EU28 average than above. The poorest households are in Bulgaria (49%), Romania (57%), Croatia (61%), Hungary (62%), Latvia (65%) and Estonia (65%).

(source: portfolio.hu)