Producer price index of agricultural products: Reflects changes in prices (compared to annual average prices) paid to producers for agricultural products procured for processing or further sale, or sold directly to households for consumption (in the market). It excludes the value of direct exports and value of direct sales (between farmers) of animals and animal products. The indices have been calculated by the Laspeyres type formula weighted with the ratio of sales values in fix base. Rebasing are used every five years as follows: all years ending in 0 or 5 are considered as base years and switch in the third year following the calendar year (eg price indices based on 2020 were first applied in 2023). The weights remain unchanged for 5 years. Price indices compared to the same period of the previous year are calculated from the fix based indices.
The monthly price index of an individual item is calculated by dividing the price of the reference month by the average price of the base year. An aggregate index is the weighted average of individual indices. For calculating weights the proportions of base year values (excluding the amount of VAT) of agricultural products sold by agricultural producers to procurement enterprises and directly to consumers (on markets) are used. In case of products sold seasonally only (e.g. sugar beet) and in those periods when no sales activity of these products is recorded, price data are carried forward by repeating the last observed price until new real prices are detected.
In the product group of seasonal fruits and vegetables variable-weight product baskets containing representative products are constructed for the 12 months of the year, the structure of which changes month by month. The variable-weight structure of each monthly basket is fixed until the changeover to the next base year. From the changeover to base year 2020 onwards the annual weights for these products are derived from the economic accounts for agriculture (EAA) similarly to the former practice, but for the calculation of monthly weights the monthly average turnover data for between 2019 and 2021 (3 years) are used for the different products. There is an underlying assumption about using the average of three years turnover data that in different years the seasonal peaks of different products belong to different months in consequence of the features related to agricultural production (e.g.: differences in weather conditions in different years). As a consequence of this method the change of indices of these two groups of products between two consecutive months reflects not only price changes but also product composition changes. For obtaining aggregate price indices containing all product groups the price indices for fruits and vegetables calculated according to the above described method are weighted by applying the same weight (the base year value) in each month.
Average producer prices:
Input price index: Data on purchase price of fertilizers, pesticides, feeding-stuffs and veterinary products are collected from retailers and wholesalers. For obtaining weights the proportions of base year (2020) values (excluding the amount of VAT) of goods and services purchased by agricultural producers from retailers or wholesalers are used. Rebasing are used every five years as follows: all years ending in 0 or 5 are considered as base years and switch in the third year following the calendar year (eg price indices based on 2020 were first applied in 2023). The weights remain unchanged for 5 years. Price indices compared to the same period of the previous year are calculated from the fix based indices. According to the new methodology for the calculation of annual indices the quarterly price indices are not weighted any longer using the value of products sold during the year but the annual value weight is distributed equally over each quarter at product and product group level.
Terms of trade: Terms of trade figure is calculated by dividing the output price index by the input price index.
The representative price observation covers more than 1,200 economic units and 5,100 products monthly. The observed price, in case of domestic sale, is a basic price since 1994, excluding value added tax, and including price supplement belonging to turnover; in case of external trade turnover, it is a price at border parity converted into forint at the actual rate of exchange, valid on the day of fulfilment.
Producer price index: a weighted average of price indices of domestic sales and export sales.
Price index of domestic sales: an index calculated from net price receipts of products sold inland using base periods as weights.
Price index of export sales: an index calculated from the price receipts of products sold directly-, through an agent-, or in a joint venture to external trade using base periods as weights.
Calculation method: as a first step a chain relative number had been calculated by representatives of the respective month. Following this the commodity-group indices were determined as arithmetic means of price ratios, then price indices by branches were calculated as weighted arithmetic means of commodity-group price indices.
Weights are revised annually, based on data of the "Annual statistical survey of industrial production" (questionnaire No. 1039 in the National Statistical Data Collection Programme (OSAP in Hungarian)).
Weights are the value of annual sales of the products/services in a particular product group two years prior to the reference year, in a particular sales direction.
As weights are changed annually, the change of the weight structure also has an effect on the base indices of aggregates.
Weights for particular years are shown in the attached table: weights.xlsx
Grouping by use: since 1998 it is done according to the recommendations (on 3 digit level) of the European Union in harmony with special branch classification. From 2000 the EU modified the contain of some groups of MIG (Main Industrial Grouping). From these the most significant change is that the division 41 collection, purification and distribution of water belongs to group Energy producer branches instead of group Intermediate goods producer branches, as before.
The updated branch classification of the Hungarian Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities'98 was introduced in the industrial price index computation in January 1999 and since then industrial producer price indices are calculated on its basis. The HSICEA'98 fully conforms to the EU NACE Rev.1. (4-digit level). From January 2009 the classification is based on HSICEA'08, which is consistent with NACE Rev. 2.
Data suppliers: selected corporations listed to Mining (B), Manufacturing (C), Energy industry (D), Water and waste management (E).
Construction cost based price index: was calculated until 2007, took into consideration the change in the producers' prices of the materials used in the construction and in the earnings of employees on construction.
Construction producers' price index: reflects the average price development of construction activity performed in construction branch. The indices are based on the survey of market prices of selected construction operations.
Price indices by type of building: reflects the average price development of construction operations need to build the given type of construction.
Unit price of the construction operations: the prices of the selected operations, including material and fee prices without VAT. These prices are taken from the entrepreneur fee establishing budgets of the contracts' and contracts modifications' from the reference period.
Calculation method: The basic element of the calculation is the elementary price relative by representatives, which is the quotient of the construction operation's reference and base period prices. From these quotients first we calculate – using arithmetical averages – enterprise indices; subsequently sub-branch and branch indices aggregated from enterprise indices weighted by staff size categories and main groups of construction. The construction price index is computed from the branch indices. Production values from two years before the reference year are used as weights. To compute indices of types of constructions first price indices for each selected operation are calculated as the simple arithmetical mean of elementary price relatives, subsequently the indices of the construction operations are weighted by types of constructions. The weights used for the types of constructions were made to be compiled by specialists, who collected weight proportions from the costs of selected construction projects.
Source of data: data supply of „Prices of construction activities”.
Scope of data suppliers: designated enterprises classified to the construction industry (a total of 900).
The construction building materials price indices is the weighted average of the following TEAOR'08 classes:
0811 Quarrying of ornamental and building stone, limestone, gypsum, chalk and slate
0812 Operation of gravel and sand pits; mining of clays and kaolin
1621 Manufacture of veneer sheets and wood-based panels
1622 Manufacture of assembled parquet floors
1623 Manufacture of other builders' carpentry and joinery
2223 Manufacture of builders' ware of plastic
2311 Manufacture of flat glass
2312 Shaping and processing of flat glass
2314 Manufacture of glass fibres
2319 Manufacture and processing of other glass, including technical glassware
2320 Manufacture of refractoryproducts
2331 Manufacture of ceramic tiles and flags
2332 Manufacture of bricks, tiles and construction products, in baked clay
2342 Manufacture of ceramic sanitary fixtures
2343 Manufacture of ceramic insulators and insulating fittings
2344 Manufacture of other technical ceramic products
2351 Manufacture of cement
2352 Manufacture of lime and plaster
2361 Manufacture of concrete products for construction purposes
2363 Manufacture of ready-mixed concrete
2364 Manufacture of mortars
2370 Cutting, shaping and finishing of stone
2391 Production of abrasive products
2399 Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products n.e.c.
2511 Manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures
2512 Manufacture of doors and windows of metal
The price index of investment belongs to the type of secondary indices. Primarily it is used for measuring the volume changes of the investments. The price index of construction, of industrial domestic sales as well as the unit value index of external trade are used for its calculation as primary indices. Weighting is done by the category composition of the performance value in the reference year. Indices have been calculated from data of comparable structure.
The basic principle of compiling external trade in goods price statistics is that the price changes of the goods included in external trade turnover is determined in a manner, consistent with the accounting of external trade in goods, using the same elementary data. The use of elementary data of external trade in goods (OSAP 2012 – Intrastat arrival; OSAP 2010 – Intrastat dispatches; OSAP 1475 – Customs declaration data) allows them to be prepared and then processed at item level in accordance with the compilation of price indices.
The method used until 2024 was based on representative data collection and on the use of external trade in goods data prepared for publication (already processed), which differed significantly from the procedure introduced from 2025 not only in its methodology but also in its resource requirements. The new procedure is based exclusively on the processing of elementary data from the above data sources, eliminating representative data collection and errors resulting from sampling.
The population whose price changes are described by price indices is the range of products included in Hungary's external trade turnover that were carried out within the framework of 'Transactions involving actual change of ownership with financial compensation', with the exception of direct sales with/between private consumers. Return and replacement of goods, transactions involving intended change of ownership or change of ownership without financial compensation, transactions with a view to processing under contract, transactions following processing under contract and barter transactions, rental, loan and leasing transactions are not included in the scope of observation.
The methodology applied from 2025 onwards creates the possibility of outlier filtering before processing the elementary data in order to determine the most reliable and accurate price change. Outliers are identified and filtered using statistical indicators, taking into account the characteristics of the distribution of unit prices, so that the applied procedure fits the individual characteristics of the products.
The previously applied method, using hierarchical aggregation at the KN8-SITC3-SITC2-SITC1-SITC Commodity Group-Main Index levels, produced the desired price indices by further averaging the aggregated indices. The new methodology forms the average price indices at each aggregation level from the price relatives at the KN8 level, thus avoiding differences resulting from averaging and multiple averaging.
Monthly price indices are determined on two bases: compared to the previous month and to the same month of the previous year. The quarterly price indexes are determined from the elementary data of the given quarter, also on two bases, compared to the previous quarter and the same quarter of the previous year. The annual price change is produced as the product of the monthly chain indices (Fisher indices).
In addition to price indices, value indices are also determined using the same data sources and procedure, and volume indices are then compiled as the rate of value and price indices for the same main commodity groups and for the groups of countries.
Groups of countries:
Terms of Trade: the quotient of export and import price index.
Methodological sources: Intrastat methodological manual, 2025, Intrastat forms; Intrastat Guide & Manual European business statistics compilers' manual for international trade in goods statistics – detailed data – 2025 edition.
Service producer price index: quarterly changes in prices in the below mentioned service activities according to NACE Rev.2.
Observed services, total (Sections H–N, with the exception of Section K)
| H | Transportation and storage services, total |
| 49 | Land transport services and transport services via pipelines |
| 52 | Warehousing and support services for transportation |
| 53 | Postal and courier services |
| I | Accommodation and food services, total |
| 55 | Accommodation services |
| 56 | Food and beverage serving services |
| J | Information and communication services, total |
| 58 | Publishing services |
| 59 | Motion picture, video and television programme production services, sound recording and music publishing |
| 60 | Programming and broadcasting services |
| 61 | Telecommunications' services |
| 62 | Computer programming, consultancy and related services |
| 63 | Information services |
| L | Real estate services, total |
| 68 | Real estate services |
| M | Professional, scientific and technical services, total |
| 69 | Legal and accounting services |
| 70.2 | Management consulting services |
| 71 | Architectural and engineering services; technical testing and analysis services |
| 73 | Advertising and market research services |
| 74 | Other professional, scientific and technical services |
| N | Administrative and support services, total |
| 77 | Rental and leasing services |
| 78 | Employment services |
| 79 | Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation services and related services |
| 80 | Security and investigation services |
| 81 | Services to buildings and landscape |
| 82 | Office administrative, office support and other business support services |
Comment: In the calculation of the price index of Section H, Air transport (51) was also taken into account, however, for data protection reasons, the data are not presented separately. Water transport services (50) are also included.
Service producer prices: the services producer price is the amount that the producer receives for services sold to customers, excluding value added tax and similar deductible taxes invoiced to the customer as well as (e.g. transportation, packing, etc.) charges invoiced separately by the producer, but including surcharges and discounts.
Price representative of services: a service item with well delimited parameters of quality relevant in pricing aspects; which represents considerable weight in sales and data on which can be continuously supplied.
Scope of data suppliers: enterprises, which supply the above mentioned services.
Source of data: compulsory statistical survey with quarterly questionnaire „Business Services Output Prices”
Pricing methods for services: all specific information based on which the service producer unit price can be determined.
The Methodological guide for developing producer price indices for services (publication of OECD and Eurostat, second edition, KS-04-14-661-EN-C) suggests using eight pricing methods:
Method for index calculation: Composite „PRODUCT”-type price indices are the aggregates of enterprise-level product-type price indices of CPA'08 categories (previous quarter = 100%).
The NACE Rev.2 4-digit level weights are SBS turnover data from 2 years prior to the actual year. The indices are chain linked with annually up-dated weights.
The consumer price index is calculated monthly and covers the whole country and all private households. It is a measure of changes in the price of goods and services intended for household consumption. For either methodological or technical reasons, certain purchases, e.g. the purchase of real estate property or certain services (transfers in kind) are not included.
Official base: the base period of the index calculation is December of the previous year. In addition, every month the indices are calculated on the basis of the previous month and the same month of the previous year. All other (quarterly, yearly, etc.) indices are calculated as composite chain indices of the above mentioned monthly indices.
Method of data collection: the selection of representative items (goods and services) as well as outlets is based on information from various sources (retail trade, regional offices, etc.) The purposive selection is concentrated on the volume selling items and outlets proportionate to size. In case of seasonal products, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, farmers' markets are also selected for price observation.
Manual or sometimes automatic price collection from the internet is used to collect the prices of those products and services that are purchased primarily online (for example electric household appliances, accommodation services, airfares).
At present there are approximately 1,000 items to be observed monthly. Altogether some 80,000 prices are collected monthly.
All items to be observed are specified according to quality, trade mark, type etc. In certain cases the price collectors have some freedom to select different varieties in different outlets, but they have to leave them unchanged within a given outlet till the selected commodity satisfies the criteria of representative items and expected continuous availability. Replacements are controlled centrally when necessary. Prices (price indices) for seasonal items are imputed when they are out-of-season and cannot be bought in outlets. Certain items, like consumption from own production, credit charges, direct taxes, second-hand transactions - except cars - are excluded.
The modification utility price regulations effective from 2022 August is accounted for in the consumer price index proportionally to consumption. The elements of the dual price regime (discounted and household market price) for gas and electricity are weighted according to their share in the payments of households, that is what is the ratio of their consumption that priced at either on discounted or household market price. The amount of gas and electricity is available at discounted price is calculated on a 12-month basis. Calculations are based on the gas and electric energy consumption related data of the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (HEA) registered on the national economy level (with a delay of 2 months due to data availability) as well as the annual data measured by the HCSO among households on household consumption. HCSO calculates the amounts to be paid on household level, then, by aggregating these, obtains the national economy level data. As such HCSO considers, when performing the calculations, the distribution and change of gas and electric energy consumption among households, and, to the extent of available data sources, possible differences due to household structures (e.g. large families' allowances, etc.), too. This way it is ensured that gas and energy consumption is represented in the adequate proportion in the unchanged- as well as in the higher price range group in every month.
The weights used for the compilation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) represent the ratio of goods and services within the final monetary consumption of households. From 2012 the weights are based on the provisional macro data of National Accounts relating to year t-2, while in previous years this data source was completed with the HBS data as well.
During the calculation of the weights from 2021 we also used the preliminary national accounts data already available for the first three quarters of year t-1, following the methodological recommendations of international organizations, including Eurostat, in order to take into account the significant impact of the new corona virus pandemic on household consumption expenditure. Thus, for the weights of 2025 we also used the data of the first three quarters of 2024.
The CPI is a fixed base weighted index (Laspeyres type). The weights of the 139 basic headings are the same every month throughout the year.
The calculation of CPI: The price relatives of the representative items are calculated by dividing the average price of a given item in the current month by its average price in the base month. The price index of the 139 basic headings is the weighted mean of the price relatives of the included representative items. The price indices of the main groups and the total consumption are the weighted average of 139 basic headings. For the aggregation, the index with the base period of the previous December is used.
From 2012, CPI does not include the cost of imputed rents, which formerly appeared within the group of services. According to the regulation of National Accounts, this item is not considered as purchased consumption thus it is excluded from the CPI.
As a result of the annual review of the representative items, the price collection for so-called haberdashery, which belongs to the group of clothing and footwear, was discontinued from 2025. Thus, the nomenclature of the domestic consumer price index contains 140 product groups from 2012, and then 139 from 2025.
Publication: The price indices of the groups of commodities are published monthly, quarterly and yearly on different bases.
From 2025, the new nomenclature of COICOP (classification of individual consumption by purpose) is to be applied instead of the former COICOP structure in consumer price statistics, in accordance with a Eurostat recommendation. Accordingly, the Office will publish domestic consumer price indices according to the new COICOP nomenclature as well. Having user needs in sight, consumer price indices will be produced according to the former COICOP structure, too, in the first year (in 2025).
The price indices of different types of households using the weights of the family expenditure structure are also published.
During the calculation of the consumer price index, both average prices and indices are made with several decimal places. Subsequently, when the results are published, the data will be rounded based on:
The annual CPI, which indicates the annual average price change, is calculated as the arithmetic average of 12-month price changes rounded to two decimal places, and each month is given equal weight in the calculation. The resulting index is then rounded to one decimal point, and this data is included in the publications.
The harmonized indices of consumer prices (HICPs) are not and will never be "fully" harmonised indices of consumer prices, in as much as the aim is international comparability across the EU Member States and not full harmonisation. The HICPs are not intended to replace national CPIs. All Member States are likely to continue their existing CPIs for domestic purposes.
The harmonized indices were based on existing national CPIs, but HICPs are harmonised in several methodological areas as well as coverage.
However, some difficult categories, including owner occupied dwellings, are still not covered by HICP.
The weights of HICP are based fully on the provisional macro data of National Accounts relating to the year t-2 while in previous years this data source was completed with the HBS data as well. The methodology of the weight calculation is fully in line with the recommendation of the implemented Commission Regulation (EU) No 1114/2010 which is in force from 1 January 2012. During the calculation of the weights from 2021 we also used the preliminary national accounts data already available for the first three quarters of the year t-1, following the methodological recommendations of international organizations, including Eurostat, with regard to the new corona virus epidemic. Thus, for the weights of 2025 we also used the data of the first three quarters of 2024.
Guidance on the compilation of HICP weights in case of large changes in consumer expenditures – Eurostat Methodological note
The weights should include expenditure by foreign visitors besides the expenditure by all household which takes place on the economic territory of the given country (domestic concept).
The common index reference period has been the year 2015.
In Hungary, the HICP and the national CPI are almost the same taking the view that the two indices should be as similar as possible for the sake of efficiency. The only differences are that:
The core or underlying inflation is calculated in order to obtain the long term „core” component of the inflation by eliminating the one-shot shocks in price development from the consumer price index (CPI).
HCSO calculates this indicator from CPI according to the changes in January 2009 by eliminating the following items:
In the course of revising the content of the index, the scope of omitted items expanded in January 2012 and April 2021. In January 2012, the cost of imputed rents was abandoned, considering that from 2012 it is not part of the CPI either. From April 2021, the alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are excluded from the core inflation. We have modified the calculation of the core inflation mainly based on the best practices in Europe whereas the price of these products has been significantly affected in recent years by regular, statutory changes in the rate of excise duty within a year.
Due to the composition of the indicator the coverage is 65.3% of the CPI's items by their weight in 2025.
After the elimination the remaining items are proportionally re-weighted in order to obtain 100% as the sum of their weights. For core inflation both a seasonally unadjusted and a seasonally adjusted indicator are published.
The core inflation indicator is calculated on December 1994 base.
The TRAMO/SEATS software is used by the HCSO for seasonal adjustment. TRAMO/SEATS is a stochastic, completely model-based approach to decomposition, usually referred to as ARIMA-based signal extraction method.
In consequence of the feature of seasonal adjustment all earlier published seasonally adjusted data can alter monthly retrospectively in each new publication, but the revision of the adjustment model takes place only once a year.
The constant tax rate index (CTI) eliminates from the CPI the impact of changes of the most important indirect taxes (VAT, excise duties, registration taxes for new motor cars). The CTI shows that how much the CPI would be if the reference period (December of the previous year) tax rates were in force in the current observation period. The aim of the CTI's calculation is the separation of the impact of indirect tax changes within the CPI. CTI is calculated on the base of December of the previous year similarly to the CPI and the same weights are applied for the aggregation of the CTI's sub-indices.
The consumer price index for pensioners, such as the consumer price index, is a national average indicator.
During its calculation, we excluded from the coverage those products and services that cannot be related to the pensioners' actual consumption. These items are the so-called imputed rents (which is not part of the consumer price index refer to the total households since 2012) and items related to parenting, i.e. meals at schools, kindergartens as well as nurseries, children's and infant's clothing and footwear, school-books, school and stationery supplies, educational services. Beside the excluded product groups, the consumer price index for consumers also differs in its weights from the general consumer price index, because the weights reflect the consumption structure of pensioners only instead of the whole population.
Source of methodology: Methodology of Consumer Price Statistics (2000, HCSO, Budapest)