Surprising price drop in the Hungarian pensioners’ price basket

Among the products typically purchased by pensioners, sugar and luncheon meat showed significant price reductions, with more than 16% drops within a month. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the price of iced tea, exceeding 29%. On an annual basis, eggs, flour, potatoes, cheese, and milk showed significant decreases of more than 27% in prices.

Comparing with the rate of pension increases, the value of pensions increased by 9.3% over the past year, while the price basket decreased by 8.8%, resulting in a short-term real value increase of 18.1%. Over a longer period, examining data from the past four years, the pension increase, even without the thirteenth month’s payments, was 51.1%, which is also favorable for pensioners. Comparing such price decreases with pension increases is crucial for ensuring the livelihood of pensioners.