K&H: record incomes and improved sense of security among middle-aged people, according to K&H survey

The income map of 30–59 year-olds in Hungary has changed significantly in recent years. Based on the results of the K&H Secure Future Survey, the boundaries of the income categories used for the analyses had to be adjusted upwards in several steps, because the household income of the respondents has been continuously increasing – partly due to inflation. According to the latest data from the third quarter of 2025, high income now means a much higher level than before, and an increasing proportion of 30–59 year-olds fall into this category, while indicators measuring the perception of the financial situation also indicate a slow improvement.

Rising incomes, pushed boundaries

At the beginning of the survey, respondents were classified based on net personal income: at that time, the high-income group started with a monthly net income of over 175 thousand forints, the middle-income group fell between 100 and 174 thousand forints, and the low-income group earned under 100 thousand forints. Since then, the research has been based on the total net income of the household, and the boundaries of the income bands have had to be adjusted upwards several times: today, the high-income category includes those whose net household income is over 700 thousand forints, the middle-income group is between 400 and 699 thousand forints, and the low-income group is below 400 thousand forints. The shifting boundaries of the categories clearly show that incomes have been continuously increasing in recent years. However, in the latest measurement, the proportion of high-income earners is already 39 percent, i.e. slightly higher than the 35 percent of middle-income earners, and significantly higher than the 26 percent of low-income earners. In the third quarter of 2025, the average net household income was 625 thousand forints, which is the highest value measured since the start of the survey. The estimated median was around 518 thousand forints, meaning that half of the households surveyed earn less and half earn more.

A significant difference is visible between the genders: the net average household income indicated by men is 667 thousand forints, while for women it is 584 thousand forints. A decreasing order is also apparent by age: the household income of the younger, thirty-something generation is 671 thousand, those in their forties 628 thousand, and those in their fifties 570 thousand forints. In a regional comparison, the central region – including the capital – stands out: here the net average household income is 710 thousand forints, and if you consider Budapest alone, it is 702 thousand forints. In the eastern part of the country, the average is 609 thousand, and in the western counties it is 562 thousand forints. Education also represents a significant dividing line: the net average household income of those with higher education is 734 thousand forints, while that of those with lower education is 562 thousand forints.

Improving, but still fragile sense of financial security

The K&H Secure Future survey asks not only about income, but also about the subjective assessment of the financial situation among 30–59-year-olds. The average value of the index measuring the assessment of the financial situation is currently 6.1 points on a scale of 1 to 10, which remains subdued, but at the same time exceeds the 5-point median and indicates a slight improvement compared to previous quarters. According to the latest data, 30 percent of those surveyed feel their financial situation is particularly secure, while the proportion of very pessimistic people is only 13 percent. Pessimism is more pronounced among 17 percent of women and 23 percent of those in their fifties. There are also large differences by education: only 9 percent of those with higher education and 16 percent of those with lower education are very pessimistic, while the proportion of optimists in the two groups is 38 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The picture is even more striking along income levels: 46 percent of high-income earners said they see their financial situation very positively, while this proportion is only 16 percent and 24 percent among middle- and low-income earners, respectively. 28 percent of low-income earners are specifically pessimistic, 14 percent of middle-income earners and only 3 percent of high-income earners can be classified in this group.