Photo: grin derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Hungary: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Hungary is placed 59th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 30.58 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.47 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
59th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Hungary on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Hungary’s is from 2017 · CC BY 4.0
30.58
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Hungary: 30.58. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Eastern Europe
- 23.82 Slovakia
- Land neighbours
- Austria 31.2 · Croatia 30.11 · Romania 29.83 · Serbia 32.82 · Slovakia 23.82 · Slovenia 24.68 · Ukraine 25.63
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Hungary’s is from 2017 · CC BY 4.0
0.47
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Hungary: 0.47. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Eastern Europe
- 0 Czechia and Belarus
- Land neighbours
- Austria 0.39 · Croatia 0.14 · Romania 0.25 · Serbia 0.48 · Slovakia 0.21 · Slovenia 0 · Ukraine 0.01
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
29.8
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Hungary: 29.8. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Eastern Europe
- 0.6 Belarus
- Land neighbours
- Austria 2.9 · Croatia 12 · Romania 20.1 · Serbia 8.5 · Slovakia 27.2 · Slovenia 2.3
02Over time
Which way Hungary is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
HungaryWorld median
Hungary rose from 26.84 in 2002 to 30.58 in 2017; the world median went from 37.14 to 34.86.
Every year’s figures
Year Hungary World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 — 33.51 2018 — 35.25 2017 30.58 34.86 2016 30.32 34.47 2015 30.41 35.52 2014 30.91 34.79 2013 31.50 36.16 2012 30.80 35.40 2011 29.16 33.96 2010 29.44 33.71 2009 26.96 34.91 2008 27.51 34.60 2007 27.88 34.26 2006 28.30 35.63 2005 34.72 36.28 2004 29.86 34.29 2003 30.93 35.46 2002 26.84 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
HungaryWorld median
Hungary rose from 0 in 2002 to 0.47 in 2017; the world median went from 3.01 to 0.3.
Every year’s figures
Year Hungary World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 — 0.380 2018 — 0.460 2017 0.47 0.300 2016 0.95 0.440 2015 0.45 0.500 2014 0.53 0.635 2013 0.09 0.515 2012 0.24 0.640 2011 0.06 0.430 2010 0.04 0.530 2009 0.04 0.600 2008 0.02 0.350 2007 0.08 0.360 2006 0.11 0.465 2005 0.49 1.250 2004 0.10 0.790 2003 0.03 1.650 2002 0.00 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
HungaryWorld median
Hungary fell from 41 in 2017 to 29.8 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Hungary World median 2025 29.8 26.40 2024 30.0 27.10 2023 30.5 27.15 2022 29.4 27.90 2021 31.8 29.65 2020 35.3 31.80 2019 34.2 29.05 2018 37.4 29.85 2017 41.0 32.40
03In context
Hungary beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
Hungary and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Slovenia | 2nd | 24.68 | 0 | 2.3 |
 Ukraine | =3rd | 25.63 | 0.01 | — |
 Croatia | 32nd | 30.11 | 0.14 | 12 |
 Austria | 33rd | 31.2 | 0.39 | 2.9 |
 Slovakia | =35th | 23.82 | 0.21 | 27.2 |
 Romania | =44th | 29.83 | 0.25 | 20.1 |
 Serbia | =49th | 32.82 | 0.48 | 8.5 |
| Hungary | 59th | 30.58 | 0.47 | 29.8 |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below Hungary in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Hungary is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median12
Statistics on which Hungary does better than the middle country measured.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.055.86917.05▲ Improved since 2013
Hungary: 5.869 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 164th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8417.1581.841▲ Improved since 2014
Hungary: 7.158 · world median 1.841 · Annualized growth in real income or consumption per person of the bottom 40% (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -4.185 to 14.51; higher is better.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6550.418.65No earlier reading
Hungary: 50.4 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID)Frederick Solt, University of Iowa · 2023 · world median 3326.533No real change since 2013
Hungary: 26.5 · world median 33 · Gini index of disposable household income (0–100), SWIID estimate. Frederick Solt, University of Iowa, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 22.3 to 51.2; lower is better.
Position 72nd of 79 · derived, 1st = worst.
Gini Index of Monthly EarningsILO · 2024 · world median 0.3370.2570.337▲ Improved since 2014
Hungary: 0.257 · world median 0.337 · Gini index of employees’ monthly earnings (0 = all paid the same, 1 = maximum inequality). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.182 to 0.643; lower is better.
Position 65th of 75 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.8190.609No real change since 2013
Hungary: 0.819 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 33rd of 169 · derived.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2520.9544.252No earlier reading
Hungary: 0.954 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 122nd of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80022,91612,800No real change since 2017
Hungary: 22,916 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 51st of 173 · derived.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.220.25▼ Worsened since 2014
Hungary: 0.22 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.2290.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Hungary: 0.229 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 118th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.10.712.1▼ Worsened since 2014
Hungary: 0.71 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.916.920.9▼ Worsened since 2015
Hungary: 16.9 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 73rd of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median2
Statistics on which Hungary does worse than the middle country measured.
Low Pay RateILO · 2024 · world median 17.8922.0617.89▼ Worsened since 2014
Hungary: 22.06 · world median 17.89 · Employees paid less than two-thirds of the median hourly earnings (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 3.395 to 41.69; lower is better.
Position 23rd of 71 · derived, 1st = worst.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.6190.446No earlier reading
Hungary: 0.619 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 4th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.555.364.55Moved since 2017
Hungary: 5.36 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.887.3786.88No earlier reading
Hungary: 7.378 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.812.121.8No earlier reading
Hungary: 12.1 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
No current reading for Hungary
Gini Index (last 2017), Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2017), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2017), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2017), Palma Ratio (last 2017), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2017), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2017), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2017), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2017), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2017), Prosperity Gap (last 2017), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate (last 2017), Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among Hungary’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Hungary’s 15th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture14th of 1844/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience19th of 1934/4 keys
- Economy & Innovation23rd of 1764/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade26th of 1772/4 keys
- Digital & Technology32nd of 1984/4 keys
- Work & Labourjoint 39th of 1824/4 keys
- Peace & Security38th of 1774/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital43rd of 1963/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge52nd of 1983/4 keys
- Energy44th of 1653/3 keys
- Governance & Institutions52nd of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equality50th of 1834/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing65th of 2003/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability68th of 1863/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality59th of 1593/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties105th of 1984/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Hungary can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Europe
Belarus1st3/3 keysThis page
Hungary59th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Questions
Hungary on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does Hungary rank on poverty & inequality?
Hungary is placed 59th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for Hungary?
30.58 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for Hungary?
0.47 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does Hungary compare with Ukraine on poverty & inequality?
Ukraine is placed joint 3rd of 159, and Hungary 59th. Gini Index: Ukraine 25.63, Hungary 30.58; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Ukraine 0.01, Hungary 0.47.
How have Hungary’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index rose from 26.84 in 2002 to 30.58 in 2017; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day rose from 0 in 2002 to 0.47 in 2017; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 41 in 2017 to 29.8 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Hungary?
No current reading is published for Hungary on Gini Index, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prosperity Gap, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate, Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 6 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
Hungary’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Hungary (banner) — grin derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Hungary: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/hungary/poverty