Distribution of earnings changes in Hungary, 2025
Released: 17 April 2026
In 2025, the average gross earnings of full-time employees rose by 9% in nominal terms compared to the previous year;1, the growth rate was more than 4 percentage points slower than in 2024. The wage growth was largely driven by the 9% increase in the minimum wage and 7% increase in the guaranteed minimum wage, as well as by the pre-scheduled wage rises in public service sectors, especially the second stage of the teachers’ wage increase implemented in public education. The wage-pushing effect of additional labour demand was still significant in some economic branches, too. The more moderate wage growth compared to the previous year was partly offset by the declining inflation toward the end of the year, resulting in a 4.8% increase in the purchasing power of earnings. Although this was 4.2 percentage points lower than the previous year’s figure, it rose steadily throughout the year.
Figure 1
There were significant differences behind the growth at the economy-wide level2. More than four-fifths of full-time job holders saw their gross earnings increase compared to the previous year, and more than half of them saw increases of 5.0% to 24.9%. At the same time, the more subdued wage growth is reflected in the fact that the share of employees whose salary increased by at least 15% over a year fell by 13.1 percentage points compared to 2024, while the proportion of those receiving a wage rise below 15% grew by 9.1 percentage points.
During the year, the proportion of employees with declining earnings decreased within the distribution of earnings changes. At the same time, the share of those achieving higher earnings levels increased. This primarily affected the proportion of employees whose earnings grew by 5.0–24.9%, while the share of those experiencing increases above 25% declined.
The change in earnings is not only driven by the change in the basic wages, but is also significantly influenced by, for example, the direct remuneration, the number of hours worked, the amount of allowances, bonuses and premiums and their timing or non-payment. In addition, changes in workers' responsibilities, jobs and employers also affect their earnings. In 2025, the distribution of earnings changes was determined by the more moderate growth of the two main components - regular and non-regular income (premiums, bonuses, 13ᵗʰ month and additional monthly payments).
Figure 2
Sectoral differences were also clearly reflected in the distribution of earnings changes. As a result of the increase in teachers’ salaries in January and the performance-based wage increase implemented in September, the education sector continued to record the largest wage rises, affecting the highest number of employees. In sectors with high average earnings—such as the energy industry, financial activities, mining, information and communication, as well as scientific and technical activities—the proportion of employees whose wages went up by more than 15% was higher. In water supply and waste management, as well as in real estate activities, pre-scheduled wage increases also enhanced the proportion of employees whose wages rose by more than 15%. The slowdown in the gross earnings growth in manufacturing is reflected by the fact that this sector recorded one of the highest rates of employees with declining earnings and also one of the lowest rates of wage increases over 15%. In public administration and defence, pre-scheduled wage increases and year-end bonuses further reduced the share of employees with declining earnings compared to the levels observed during the year. However, in some large subsectors, non-regular earnings and basic wage increases were lower in nominal terms compared to the same period of the previous year, meaning that this sector continued to record the highest proportion of employees with decreasing earnings. In human health and social work activities, the proportion of those experiencing a decline in earnings was the second highest in 2025, as there were no pre-scheduled wage increases, hence the regular earnings rose only modestly in the sector.
Figure 3
By the end of the third quarter, the growth in average net earnings exceeded the increase in average gross earnings compared to the same period of the previous year, thanks to the first phase of the rise in family tax allowance introduced in July. By the end of the year, this difference widened to 0.4 percentage points due to the introduction of tax exemption for mothers with three children in October. The tax allowances contributed to reducing the proportion of employees with declining net earnings to 14.4%, while the share of those experiencing earnings growth between 5.0% and 24.9% increased by a further 1.7 percentage points compared to the level observed in the first three quarters of 2025.
Figure 4
In 2025, the proportion of employees whose net earnings decreased in real terms rose from 18.8% to 28.1%, representing an increase of nearly 10 percentage points compared to 2024. The decline in nominal earnings was primarily driven by reductions or absence of fringe benefits (e.g. allowances, bonuses), which could not be offset by the more moderate wage outflow compared to the previous year. Although more than half of the employees with declining purchasing power saw an increase in their nominal wages, it was at a rate below the inflation. At the same time, in parallel with the declining inflation, the proportion of employees whose earnings decreased in real terms continued to fall in the fourth quarter compared to earlier periods. Overall, 44.2% of employees saw their real earnings rise by at least 5%, and nearly one in five employees experienced an increase of at least 15%.
Figure 5
Expected next release of data for the first quarter of 2026: June 2026
Footnotes
-
Official statistical data. ↩
-
The purpose of experimental statistics is to supplement and expand the information content of the change in average earnings published as official statistics by showing the distribution behind the change in the average, too. The statistics look at the change in earnings of individuals with full-time jobs, i.e. how the total earnings of the employee have changed (basic wages, direct remuneration, payments for days not worked, bonuses, premium, 13th and additional monthly pay together, compared to the same period of the previous year, regardless of whether the job or employer has changed). No specific information is available for each pay element.) ↩
Released: 17 April 2026
In 2025, the average gross earnings of full-time employees rose by 9% in nominal terms compared to the previous year;1, the growth rate was more than 4 percentage points slower than in 2024. The wage growth was largely driven by the 9% increase in the minimum wage and 7% increase in the guaranteed minimum wage, as well as by the pre-scheduled wage rises in public service sectors, especially the second stage of the teachers’ wage increase implemented in public education. The wage-pushing effect of additional labour demand was still significant in some economic branches, too. The more moderate wage growth compared to the previous year was partly offset by the declining inflation toward the end of the year, resulting in a 4.8% increase in the purchasing power of earnings. Although this was 4.2 percentage points lower than the previous year’s figure, it rose steadily throughout the year.
There were significant differences behind the growth at the economy-wide level2. More than four-fifths of full-time job holders saw their gross earnings increase compared to the previous year, and more than half of them saw increases of 5.0% to 24.9%. At the same time, the more subdued wage growth is reflected in the fact that the share of employees whose salary increased by at least 15% over a year fell by 13.1 percentage points compared to 2024, while the proportion of those receiving a wage rise below 15% grew by 9.1 percentage points.
During the year, the proportion of employees with declining earnings decreased within the distribution of earnings changes. At the same time, the share of those achieving higher earnings levels increased. This primarily affected the proportion of employees whose earnings grew by 5.0–24.9%, while the share of those experiencing increases above 25% declined.
The change in earnings is not only driven by the change in the basic wages, but is also significantly influenced by, for example, the direct remuneration, the number of hours worked, the amount of allowances, bonuses and premiums and their timing or non-payment. In addition, changes in workers' responsibilities, jobs and employers also affect their earnings. In 2025, the distribution of earnings changes was determined by the more moderate growth of the two main components - regular and non-regular income (premiums, bonuses, 13ᵗʰ month and additional monthly payments).
Sectoral differences were also clearly reflected in the distribution of earnings changes. As a result of the increase in teachers’ salaries in January and the performance-based wage increase implemented in September, the education sector continued to record the largest wage rises, affecting the highest number of employees. In sectors with high average earnings—such as the energy industry, financial activities, mining, information and communication, as well as scientific and technical activities—the proportion of employees whose wages went up by more than 15% was higher. In water supply and waste management, as well as in real estate activities, pre-scheduled wage increases also enhanced the proportion of employees whose wages rose by more than 15%. The slowdown in the gross earnings growth in manufacturing is reflected by the fact that this sector recorded one of the highest rates of employees with declining earnings and also one of the lowest rates of wage increases over 15%. In public administration and defence, pre-scheduled wage increases and year-end bonuses further reduced the share of employees with declining earnings compared to the levels observed during the year. However, in some large subsectors, non-regular earnings and basic wage increases were lower in nominal terms compared to the same period of the previous year, meaning that this sector continued to record the highest proportion of employees with decreasing earnings. In human health and social work activities, the proportion of those experiencing a decline in earnings was the second highest in 2025, as there were no pre-scheduled wage increases, hence the regular earnings rose only modestly in the sector.
By the end of the third quarter, the growth in average net earnings exceeded the increase in average gross earnings compared to the same period of the previous year, thanks to the first phase of the rise in family tax allowance introduced in July. By the end of the year, this difference widened to 0.4 percentage points due to the introduction of tax exemption for mothers with three children in October. The tax allowances contributed to reducing the proportion of employees with declining net earnings to 14.4%, while the share of those experiencing earnings growth between 5.0% and 24.9% increased by a further 1.7 percentage points compared to the level observed in the first three quarters of 2025.
In 2025, the proportion of employees whose net earnings decreased in real terms rose from 18.8% to 28.1%, representing an increase of nearly 10 percentage points compared to 2024. The decline in nominal earnings was primarily driven by reductions or absence of fringe benefits (e.g. allowances, bonuses), which could not be offset by the more moderate wage outflow compared to the previous year. Although more than half of the employees with declining purchasing power saw an increase in their nominal wages, it was at a rate below the inflation. At the same time, in parallel with the declining inflation, the proportion of employees whose earnings decreased in real terms continued to fall in the fourth quarter compared to earlier periods. Overall, 44.2% of employees saw their real earnings rise by at least 5%, and nearly one in five employees experienced an increase of at least 15%.
Expected next release of data for the first quarter of 2026: June 2026
Footnotes
-
Official statistical data. ↩
-
The purpose of experimental statistics is to supplement and expand the information content of the change in average earnings published as official statistics by showing the distribution behind the change in the average, too. The statistics look at the change in earnings of individuals with full-time jobs, i.e. how the total earnings of the employee have changed (basic wages, direct remuneration, payments for days not worked, bonuses, premium, 13th and additional monthly pay together, compared to the same period of the previous year, regardless of whether the job or employer has changed). No specific information is available for each pay element.) ↩