Tax wedge on low wage earners
The share of an employer's total labour cost taken as tax and contributions, for a single, childless worker earning two-thirds of the average wage, since 2000.
- Latest
- 41.2%2025
- over one year
- 0.0 pp2024: 41.2%
- Record high
- 51.4%2000
- Record low
- 41.2%2022
- Data since
- 200051.4%
Tax wedge on low wage earners
About this indicator
The tax wedge shows how much of the employer's total labour cost never reaches the worker. Cutting the employer social contribution (szocho) from 27% to 13% between 2017 and 2022 lowered it substantially. For parents and exempt groups (under-25s, mothers) the wedge is much smaller.
The latest figure (2025) is 41.2%, under the Orbán Viktor government. The series goes back to 2000; the highest value was 51.4% (2000) and the lowest 41.2% (2022).
Source: Eurostat (earn_nt_taxwedge) · 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 | no data yet | – | – | – |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán II–V · 2010–2026 | 46.2% | 41.2% | −5.0 pp | 45.0% |
Bajnai Gordon (MSZP)Bajnai · 2009–2010 | 46.8% | 46.2% | −0.6 pp | 46.2% |
Gyurcsány Ferenc (MSZP)Gyurcsány · 2004–2009 | 44.8% | 46.8% | +2.0 pp | 44.8% |
Medgyessy Péter (MSZP)Medgyessy · 2002–2004 | 50.9% | 44.8% | −6.1 pp | 45.9% |
Orbán Viktor (Fidesz)Orbán I · 1998–2002 | 51.4%* | 50.9% | −0.5 pp | 51.2% |
* The series starts during this term, so the starting value is the first available observation.
Data table
| Date | Hungary | EU average |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 41.2% | 39.5% |
| 2024 | 41.2% | 39.3% |
| 2023 | 41.2% | 38.5% |
| 2022 | 41.2% | 38.8% |
| 2021 | 43.2% | 39.1% |
| 2020 | 43.6% | 39.1% |
| 2019 | 44.6% | 39.9% |
| 2018 | 45.0% | 40.0% |
| 2017 | 46.2% | 40.1% |
| 2016 | 48.3% | 40.2% |
| 2015 | 49.0% | 40.5% |
| 2014 | 49.0% | 41.0% |
| 2013 | 49.0% | 41.4% |
| 2012 | 47.9% | – |
| 2011 | 45.2% | – |
| 2010 | 43.8% | – |
| 2009 | 46.2% | – |
| 2008 | 46.8% | – |
| 2007 | 46.1% | – |
| 2006 | 43.3% | – |
| 2005 | 43.1% | – |
| 2004 | 44.8% | – |
| 2003 | 44.6% | – |
| 2002 | 48.2% | – |
| 2001 | 50.9% | – |
| 2000 | 51.4% | – |