Statistical report 2022 (Part 2)

This reveals that 170,000 people were employed in the accommodation provider and hospitality sector in 2021 – 3.7% of the active workers in Hungary. There were fewer people working in the sector than in 2020 (177,000 workers). Gross pay was HUF 250,000 a month in the hospitality sector in 2021, while the annual net salary was HUF 166,000. In 2021 Hungarians spent HUF 354bn on domestic stays, from which eating and drinking in restaurants, bars and cafés represented a sum of HUF 46bn.

Companies and sole traders

In 2020 there were more than 12,000 sole traders and 13,000 companies in the hospitality sector. 59% of sole traders were in the food segment and 32% were in drinks; for companies the same ratios were 75% and 17%, respectively. Because of the pandemic, between 14 November 2020 and 31 July 2021 hospitality units were allowed to use a preferential 5% VAT rate for home delivery and takeaway food. This step helped many restaurants to stay alive, but the VAT regulation that is currently in force remains to be very complicated and difficult to comply with in practice. It would create a much better situation for owners to extend the preferential VAT rare to every hospitality service – just like in other European countries – with the exception of alcoholic drinks.

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