Food price inflation
How much food prices rose over a year. Annual change in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages, monthly, compared with the EU.
- Latest
- −4.6%September 2026
- over one year
- −7.6 ppSeptember 2025: 3.0%
- Record high
- 47.9%December 2022
- Record low
- −4.8%August 2026
- Data since
- 199715.1%
Food price inflation
What has changed since the change of government?
The latest figure compared with the value when the new government took office – and, for comparison, how the indicator moved over the same length of time before the change. This is a short period: the indicators are also strongly driven by the world economy, earlier decisions and seasonal effects, so changes cannot be attributed to the new government alone.
Regulation and key events
- 1 Jan 20165% VAT: pork
From 1 January 2016, VAT on pork was cut from 27% to 5%.
- 1 Jan 20175% VAT: milk, eggs, poultry
From 1 January 2017, VAT on milk, eggs and poultry was also cut to 5%.
- 17 Mar 2025 – in forceMargin cap
Margin cap: from 17 March 2025, retailers with revenue above 1 billion HUF may apply at most a 10% margin in 30 basic food categories. Extended to drugstore products from 19 May 2025 (max 15%) and to further products from 1 December 2025. The outgoing government made it open-ended in April 2026; on 19 October 2026 Magyar Péter announced it would be phased out, without a date.
About this indicator
Food is a large share of household spending, especially for lower-income families. Around the turn of 2022–2023 Hungarian food inflation was above 40% (peaking near 48%), by far the highest in the EU.
The latest figure (September 2026) is −4.6%, under the Magyar Péter government. The series goes back to 1997; the highest value was 47.9% (December 2022) and the lowest −4.8% (August 2026).
Source: Eurostat (prc_hicp_minr) · Updated: 27 Oct 2026 21:41 UTC · Download data (CSV)
By government
The value when each government took office and when it left (or the latest figure), plus the average during the term.
| Government | At start | At end / now | Change | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Magyar Péter (Tisza)Magyar · 2026–in office | −0.9% | −4.6% | −3.7 pp | −3.7% |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán II–V · 2010–2026 | −2.2% | −0.9% | +1.3 pp | 6.2% |
Bajnai Gordon (MSZP)Bajnai · 2009–2010 | 5.0% | −2.2% | −7.2 pp | 2.3% |
Gyurcsány Ferenc (MSZP)Gyurcsány · 2004–2009 | 5.8% | 5.0% | −0.8 pp | 7.7% |
Medgyessy Péter (MSZP)Medgyessy · 2002–2004 | 7.0% | 5.8% | −1.2 pp | 3.2% |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán I · 1998–2002 | 14.4% | 7.0% | −7.4 pp | 8.3% |
Horn Gyula (MSZP)Horn · 1994–1998 | 15.1%* | 14.4% | −0.7 pp | 17.8% |
* The series starts during this term, so the starting value is the first available observation.
Data table · Year-end values
| Date | Hungary | EU average |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | −4.6% | 0.6% |
| December 2025 | −0.3% | 2.8% |
| December 2024 | 4.7% | 2.4% |
| December 2023 | 2.4% | 5.9% |
| December 2022 | 47.9% | 17.8% |
| December 2021 | 7.7% | 4.3% |
| December 2020 | 4.4% | 1.0% |
| December 2019 | 5.7% | 2.5% |
| December 2018 | 4.4% | 1.3% |
| December 2017 | 3.4% | 2.4% |
| December 2016 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| December 2015 | 2.0% | 0.6% |
| December 2014 | −1.0% | −0.7% |
| December 2013 | −0.4% | 1.2% |
| December 2012 | 7.5% | 3.4% |
| December 2011 | 4.8% | 3.1% |
| December 2010 | 7.5% | 2.5% |
| December 2009 | 2.0% | −1.0% |
| December 2008 | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| December 2007 | 13.0% | 5.8% |
| December 2006 | 13.1% | 2.8% |
| December 2005 | 2.9% | 1.5% |
| December 2004 | 3.4% | 1.2% |
| December 2003 | 3.8% | 3.0% |
| December 2002 | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| December 2001 | 9.0% | 5.9% |
| December 2000 | 12.3% | 5.6% |
| December 1999 | 4.9% | – |
| December 1998 | 4.7% | – |
| December 1997 | 20.3% | – |
Related indicators
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