Summary of Salary Trends in Hungary: Wage Growth Now Slowing
- 12 Feb 2026 8:25 AM
- Hungary Around the Clock
The scope for double-digit wage increases in Hungary is narrowing rapidly: in 2024 some 31% of employers granted raises of more than 10%; by 2025 that share had fallen to 10%, according to Hays Hungary’s Salary Guide 2026.
Most companies plan increases of just 2.5-5% for 2026, signalling far tighter budgets than a year earlier.
Employees are adjusting their expectations accordingly: only 18.5% now anticipate pay growth of more than 10%.
Around 72.5% of workers and 65% of employers are pessimistic about the economic outlook over the next two to five years, a gloomier assessment than in previous surveys.
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