Inflation rate in Hungary
How much prices rose over the past year. Annual inflation (consumer prices compared with the same month a year earlier), monthly since 1997, compared with the EU.
- Latest
- 2.1%September 2026
- over one year
- −2.2 ppSeptember 2025: 4.3%
- Record high
- 26.2%January 2023
- Record low
- −1.4%January 2015
- Data since
- 199719.1%
Inflation rate in Hungary
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
- 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
Inflation shows how much more expensive goods and services became over a year. We use the EU's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), which is comparable across member states and may differ by a few tenths of a point from the national CPI published by KSH. In 2022–2023 Hungary had the highest inflation in the EU.
The latest figure (September 2026) is 2.1%, under the Magyar Péter government. The series goes back to 1997; the highest value was 26.2% (January 2023) and the lowest −1.4% (January 2015).
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 | 2.6% | 2.1% | −0.5 pp | 2.0% |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán II–V · 2010–2026 | 4.9% | 2.6% | −2.3 pp | 4.6% |
Bajnai Gordon (MSZP)Bajnai · 2009–2010 | 2.8% | 4.9% | +2.1 pp | 4.9% |
Gyurcsány Ferenc (MSZP)Gyurcsány · 2004–2009 | 6.7% | 2.8% | −3.9 pp | 5.3% |
Medgyessy Péter (MSZP)Medgyessy · 2002–2004 | 5.6% | 6.7% | +1.1 pp | 5.4% |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán I · 1998–2002 | 14.3% | 5.6% | −8.7 pp | 9.6% |
Horn Gyula (MSZP)Horn · 1994–1998 | 19.1%* | 14.3% | −4.8 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 | 2.1% | 3.8% |
| December 2025 | 3.3% | 2.3% |
| December 2024 | 4.8% | 2.7% |
| December 2023 | 5.5% | 3.4% |
| December 2022 | 25.0% | 10.4% |
| December 2021 | 7.4% | 5.3% |
| December 2020 | 2.8% | 0.2% |
| December 2019 | 4.1% | 1.6% |
| December 2018 | 2.8% | 1.6% |
| December 2017 | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| December 2016 | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| December 2015 | 1.0% | 0.2% |
| December 2014 | −0.8% | −0.2% |
| December 2013 | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| December 2012 | 5.1% | 2.3% |
| December 2011 | 4.1% | 2.8% |
| December 2010 | 4.6% | 2.5% |
| December 2009 | 5.4% | 1.3% |
| December 2008 | 3.4% | 2.0% |
| December 2007 | 7.4% | 3.4% |
| December 2006 | 6.6% | 2.0% |
| December 2005 | 3.2% | 2.4% |
| December 2004 | 5.5% | 2.6% |
| December 2003 | 5.6% | 2.2% |
| December 2002 | 4.9% | 2.5% |
| December 2001 | 6.8% | 3.0% |
| December 2000 | 10.0% | 4.0% |
| December 1999 | 11.5% | – |
| December 1998 | 10.1% | – |
| December 1997 | 18.6% | – |
Related indicators
How much food prices rose over a year.
How much energy (power, gas, fuel) got pricier over a year.
What a litre of 95 petrol costs at the pump, on average.
What a litre of diesel costs at the pump, on average.