Social care protection

In 2025, nearly 73 thousand children were registered as being at risk in Hungary, of whom guardianship authorities placed almost 34 thousand minors under protection. The child protection specialist care system has undergone significant changes in recent years: the emphasis has shifted from institutional care to foster placement, and the role of religious organisations has increased considerably. Approximately 360 thousand persons used basic social services. Residential institutions providing long-term and temporary placement cared for more than 87 thousand beneficiaries.

At the beginning of 2026, 2,421 thousand people in Hungary received a pension or other pension benefits, and 77% of the people entitled received an old-age pension over retirement age. Those receiving a pension or other benefits received an average of 240 thousand forints as full benefits. The average amount of old-age pension equalled 261 thousand forints, with men’s benefits 44 thousand forints higher than women’s, due to the typically longer service time and higher earnings.

Nurseries Day in Hungary is celebrated on 21 April, marking the opening of the country’s first nursery in 1852. In 2025, more than 62 thousand young children were receiving daytime care in 2,990 institutions. The number of enrolled children showed steady growth over the years—apart from 2020, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic—and in 2025, nurseries cared for 42% more children than eight years earlier. Most young children attended traditional nurseries; however, from 2017, the number of children using mini infant nursery services grew at the fastest rate.

Family-policy benefits (direct and indirect together) exceeded 4% of GDP in Hungary in the last five years. Out of direct family benefits, family allowance was paid to 1,050 thousand families in 2024. 858 thousand people received local social benefit, and local governments spent a total of 25.3 billion forints on subsidisation, which was nearly 29,500 forints per capita on an annual average. Nearly 1 million parents benefitted from family tax allowance, its total amount exceeding 360 billion forints.

The yearbook provides an overview of Hungary's demographic, social and economic trends, environmental characteristics and their changes over time, with the help of tens of thousands of data in some 500 tables, charts and maps. In the chapter devoted to earnings and incomes, it is a novelty compared to previous years that net earnings in which allowances and types of exemptions are accounted for, too, came into focus from 2019. In the number of employees, people working in working time shorter than 60 working hours per month are also taken into account. In addition, the theme of environment is completed with areas declared world heritage sites by UNESCO.

Hungary’s GDP increased by 0.5% amid global challenges in 2024. The performance of goods-producing industries lessened, while that of service-providing ones rose, which shows the duality of economic trends. Household consumption picked up, which was considerably encouraged by the purchasing power of earnings growing again with the inflationary wave calming down. Besides, the data series reveal that the level of employment reached another peak.