SZALAI PIROSKA
Annual net average earnings (PPS) of a full-time, single worker without children
(Source: Eurostat, compiled by: Piroska Szalai)
The chart shows Hungary (green bars) and the EU-27 average (blue bars) from 2010 to 2025, along with the ratio of Hungarian wages to the EU average (orange circles, right axis).
‼️💰📈 Hungarian wage growth is among the best in the EU — and even stands out globally. 👏
✅ In 2013, the purchasing power of the Hungarian average net wage (without tax benefits) was only half of the EU average — today it has reached two-thirds.
💰Hungary’s wage growth ranks among the strongest in the European Union. Since 2016, there were only two years when we did not place among the top five performers. In 2024, Hungary recorded the third-largest improvement among the member states. We are continuously closing the gap with the EU average wage: in 2024 the purchasing power of Hungarian wages exceeded that of six EU countries, was nearly identical to the Czech level, and significantly approached Portugal and Slovenia.
💰The real value growth of Hungarian wages is also outstanding on OECD level. According to the OECD Employment Outlook reports, Hungary has been among the top performers for years. The most recent 2025 edition, analyzing developments from 2021 to Q1 2025, ranked Hungary second — just behind Turkey — out of 37 examined countries.
🌏 Hungarian wage growth is also among the world’s top performers. Based on the Employment Conditions Abroad (ECA) 2025–26 salary trends report, Hungary ranks second in Europe in 2025 (after Turkey), and is expected to maintain this position in 2026. Their forecast shows that our real wage growth will place Hungary among the top 10 countries worldwide.
📊 In the past decade, Hungary has experienced an unprecedented wage boom. Since 2010, both gross and net average wages have more than tripled, while their purchasing power has nearly doubled. In the first half of 2025, the gross average wage was 82.7%, and the net average wage 91.5% higher in real terms than in 2010.
👶👧👦 Thanks to the 50% increase of the family tax allowance from July, and the new tax exemption for mothers of three children from October, net wages are expected to grow even faster than gross wages in 2025.
👩💼 As of January this year, the family tax allowance has doubled compared to a year earlier, and mothers under 40 with two children are also eligible for full tax exemption. Therefore, again this year, net wage growth is expected to outpace gross wage growth.
🎉🍀🥂 Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!