Information, communication

The number of fixed-line internet services subscriptions surpassed by 2.2% the one year earlier data in the 2nd quarter of 2024, due to the 8.4% increase of the optical segment. Packages offering at least 500 Mbit/s download speed reached 22% of all subscriptions. Fixed-line internet download traffic was 13%, mobile data traffic 24% higher than in the same period of 2023.

In regard to telecommunication services close to HUF 332 billion revenue has been realised at service providers in the 2nd quarter of 2024, 58% of this coming from mobile voice and mobile internet services. The average time of fixed line calls dropped by 7.0%, that of mobile calls increased by 0.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. Advanced digital technologies are increasingly widespread at television service subscriptions.

The number of fixed connection internet subscriptions in Hungary came close to 3.6 million in 2023, increasing by 1.3% year-on-year. The growth has been impacted by the 12% rise in the optical group. Download data traffic grew by 25%, the upload one by 6.0%, both reaching record high values. The number of SIM cards for mobile phone and/or mobile internet services – continuing the previous years’ expansion – came close by the end of 2023 to 14.2 million.

The use of infocommunication devices by households and people in Hungary, based on the majority of main indices, increased in 2023, year-on-year. Broadband internet was present in 93% of households, 88% of the population aged 16-74 used the internet on a daily basis. The use of ICT devices grew in the other segment of the digital society, the administration one, too, digital difference among state administration and local governments continued to shrink.

Geopolitical tensions continued to overshadow economic developments in 2023, with the gross domestic product falling by 0.9%. Inflationary pressures gradually eased, but the 17.6% annual increase in consumer prices led to a decline in real earnings and consumption, and negatively affected investment decisions. Despite the economic difficulties, employment has reached a record high. In 2023, the number of deaths and births continued to fall, in addition to the decrease in the number of women of childbearing age.

Datasets from the Dissemination Database regarding settlements and Budapest’s districts have been updated with 2022 data, as such settlement and district related data for 2022 are available since 31 August, concerning, among others, data on telephone.

Mobile network data traffic increases continuously, surpassing the previous year’s data in the 3rd quarter of 2021 by 35%. Optical network based internet subscriptions continued to increase in number, these represented more than one-third of the fixed line subscriptions in the 3rd quarter of 2021. The average length of calls initiated from mobile and fixed line networks lagged behind the peak values measured during the height of the pandemic, although surpassed the pre-pandemic values.

The the number of households with internet connection grew from 58% in 2010 to 88% by 2020. Surfing on the internet became a daily routine for most people: 79% of the population aged 16–74 surfed on a daily basis on the net in 2020, most people sought health related info, made phone calls or used the social media.