Information, communication

In 2002, the International Telecommunication Union initiated the introduction of World Internet Day. Nowadays, internet use has become a daily routine for most people. In 2019, 75% of the population aged 16–74-year-olds in Hungary and 79% in the EU used the internet on a daily basis: among other things, looking for health-related information, making phone calls or looking for a job.

Sales revenue from sales of enterprises in the Telecommunications, internet, television services sector further increased in 2019. The number of mobile subscriptions reached 12.5 million by the end of 2019, the yearly data traffic surpassed the previous year’s data by 54%. The number and duration of calls initiated from the mobile network grew during the year, in contrast that of fixed main lines further declined. The expansion of the internet market continued, the yearly revenue of internet access services grew at a faster pace than the number of subscriptions.

Both society and the economy are becoming more and more digital, making it essential that more people have access to the internet. Children are being educated online due to the coronavirus epidemic, which also makes it important for households with children to access the world wide web. Between 2010 and 2019, the share of Hungarian households with children having internet access increased from 76% to 98%, reaching the EU average.

In 2018, the Hungarian economy performed 4.9% better compared to the previous year. In parallel with economic growth, the labour market continued to expand dynamically. An important pillar of GDP growth was the improvement in the willingness of economic stakeholders to invest and the use of EU funds. In 2018, among factors influencing population number, the number of births declined faster than that of deaths. So the natural decline of the population continued. The total fertility rate was the same as in 2017, and the inclination to have children was significantly above the 2011 low.