The Central Statistical Office (KSH) said the average gross wage in Hungary increased by an annual 13.3% to 642,000 forints (EUR 1,630) in June. Net wages climbed at the same pace to 427,000 forints.
Real wages rose by 9.3%, calculated with a June CPI of 3.7%. The gross median wage increased by 15.3% to 518,800 forints. Hungary’s statutory monthly minimum wage was raised by 15% to 266,800 forints for unskilled laborers and by 10% to 326,000 forints for skilled workers from December 1. The average gross wage in the business sector, which includes state-owned companies, rose by 11.4% to 644,000 forints, excluding fostered workers. The average gross wage in the public sector, without fostered workers, climbed 18.9% to 678,200 forints. For the period January-June, gross wages averaged 634,800 forints and net wages came to 422,100 forints, both up by 14.0% from the same period a year earlier. Commenting on the data, the national economy ministry’s state secretary for labor policy said that real wages continued to increase at a significant rate thanks to low inflation and an “outstanding wage dynamic”. “With the 9.3% real wage increase in June, the purchasing power of family incomes has been rising for the tenth consecutive month since September 2023,” Sándor Czomba said in a statement. He said that employment and wages were steadily increasing, noting that there were one million more people holding a job now compared with the period of the previous government. The average wages of jobholders have tripled, Czomba added. The state secretary said the government was committed to continuing wage increases with a special focus on minimum wages. He pledged gradual minimum wage increases by up to 140,000 forints by 2027.