Median wage in Hungary well below average earnings, KSH says

Average gross earnings came to HUF 367,800 in 2019, compared to a median gross wage of HUF 292,320, the KSH revealed in response to an inquiry by opposition MP Erzsébet Schmuck.

This means average earning paint a misleading picture as high earners increase the average, which therefore does not reflect the quality of life of a typical Hungarian.

The KSH has not published median wages for several years now, only average earnings, but the gap between the two has opened significantly since 2016. This is probably why most Hungarians feel “I don’t earn that much” or “my wages didn’t grow that much” whenever the KSH releases average earnings.

Portfolio estimated the median wage last year, arriving at the conclusion that it is significantly lower than the average, but the actual difference is even more. Our model yielded a median wage of slightly more than HUF 300,000, which has now turned out to have been overly optimistic.

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