The car remains the favorite of Hungarians, but public transportation dictates the pace in the capital

The transportation habits and preferences of the Hungarian population have shown remarkable stability in recent years, while significant differences are emerging between residents of the capital and those living in the countryside. According to the latest data from the K&H Sure Future survey, there is an openness to environmentally conscious solutions, but the dominance of the private car seems unbreakable, especially in areas where public transport alternatives are more limited. Nationally, 25 percent of respondents use local public transport several times a week, but this rate jumps to 46 percent in the central region, and within that to 55 percent in the capital, while in the eastern and western counties it reaches only 18 and 12 percent, respectively.

According to the current and previous data of the survey, since 2017, a total of 68 percent of respondents use their car several times a week, with the lowest being 60 percent and the highest being 75 percent, so the current value of 66 percent corresponds to the average result.

The use of a car is fundamentally determined by the place of residence and the financial situation: while only half of those living in Budapest – 49 percent – drive their car several times a week, this rate is 74 percent in small towns and 69 percent in villages. Regular car use increases on a national average in parallel with the rise in income levels, with the rate already reaching 77 percent in the highest income category. Interestingly, motorcycling remains a stratified genre: 79 percent of those surveyed never use such a vehicle. And of those who do, the majority do so only relatively rarely. The rate of those who ride a motorcycle several times a week is only 2 percent. Also nationally, the income situation does not play a decisive role in terms of local public transport, while education does: 31 percent of those with higher education use this option, compared to 21 percent of those with lower education. Also at the national level, train and long-distance bus use, on the other hand, is inversely proportional to income; regular use of both modes of transport decreases as income increases. In contrast, taxi use has remained stable, at 52 percent nationally, while 76 percent of Budapest residents use this service at least occasionally.

The survey also addressed long-distance travel, where there has been a spectacular increase in the popularity of flying: 56 percent of those surveyed in the latest survey traveled by plane, which is a significant increase compared to last year’s 46 percent. Air travel is mainly widespread among residents of the capital (79 percent), those with higher education (75 percent) and those with high incomes (71 percent).

Greener transport?

Among the more sustainable modes of transport, cycling has shown a slight decline nationwide this year, as the proportion of regular users has decreased to 16 percent compared to the 21-22 percent result of the previous two years. Regular cycling remains the most popular mode of transport in small towns, with 21 percent of residents choosing this mode of transport several times a week, while in Budapest the figure is only 7 percent. In parallel, the slow spread of scooter use can be observed at the national level. Although currently only 19 percent use it at least occasionally, this is an increase compared to the 7 percent measured in 2020. The 30-year-old age group proves to be the most open, with 25 percent of them using scooters.

Finally, the research also provided an answer to what Hungarians would choose under ideal circumstances. If all modes of transport were available without restrictions in their place of residence, 61 percent of respondents would still consider their own car to be the most attractive option. Although this rate is lower in Budapest, at 50 percent, and local public transport is the most popular alternative there (37 percent), the dominance of their own car is clear on the national average. The desire for rental or community solutions is currently minimal, and these would be the most attractive choice for only 1-2 percent of the population.