Analysis by GKI Economic Research suggests that while rating agencies monitored the Hungarian elections with intensified scrutiny, decisive judgment is improbable during the upcoming review cycle. Currently, Hungary’s sovereign debt is teetering near the lower boundary of the investment-grade category at all three major agencies — Fitch, Moody’s, and S&P — all of which maintain […]
Overall, the structure of Hungarian health care expenditures presents a dual picture: the state dominates in severe, long-term care services, while households bear a significant direct financial burden in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and outpatient care. That has been established by the Budapest-based GKI Economic Research Institute in its latest study on the subject. Based on […]
Based on data by the Central Statistical Office (KSH), the GKI economic research institute examined the structure of Hungarian health care expenditures, which provides an important picture of the extent to which the system relies on public resources, and of the role played by household financing and voluntary health insurance financing within the system. For […]
According to a survey by GKI Economic Research Co., conducted with EU support, consumer outlooks in January remained unchanged compared with December, while those of companies deteriorated slightly. The summary indicator of expectations, the GKI Business Climate Index, fell by almost three points. Firms’ willingness to hire remained unchanged, and their overall expectations for the […]
According to a survey by the economic research institute GKI, 27% of companies provide the option of working from home to at least some of their employees. Home office has thus become a stable but highly segmented form of employment in Hungary. The prevalence of working from home is outstanding in the service sector and […]
The spread of remote work received a significant boost in Hungary during the new coronavirus pandemic. Although its prevalence declined once the pandemic passed, over the past two to three years the use of home office has stabilised at a level much higher than before. In September 2025, according to the results of a representative […]
A survey conducted by GKI Economic Research Institute – with the support of the European Union – found that both consumers and businesses were more optimistic in September than in August. The GKI economic sentiment index, a summary measure of expectations, rose by just over two points, reaching an eleven-month high. Firms’ hiring intentions and […]
On May 1st, Hungary marked the 21st anniversary of its accession to the European Union. While EU membership offers a host of economic advantages — such as tariff-free exports within the bloc, increased foreign direct investment, and free movement of labour — perhaps the most tangible benefit lies in the direct financial support from Brussels. […]
According to a survey conducted by the GKI Economic Research Institute with the support of the EU, the outlook of consumers remained unchanged in February compared to January, but the expectations of the business sector became slightly more optimistic. The GKI business climate index thus moved up from its 19-month low in January. Companies' employment […]
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, […]
Long-term demographic trends have an impact not only on the working-age population but also on future pensioners. Currently, there are 1 million 998 thousand old-age pensioners in Hungary, a number that is set to grow significantly in the coming years. How does this affect the sustainability of the pension system? That is the question the […]
Hungary's external trade balance and its impact on the economy are regularly discussed by analysts, but it is mostly the trade balance in goods that is discussed. However, the other important component of the domestic external trade balance, the external trade balance in services, is also important to address in the shadow of the reindustrialization […]
According to the empirical survey conducted by GKI Economic Research Co. with EU support, both businesses and households reported a somewhat less positive outlook in April than in March. Thus, GKI’s economic sentiment index decreased by 2 points, which is slightly smaller than the improvement in March (which was 3 points). The employment intentions of […]
