51.9 Overall Score (down 28.2 since Aug 1st.)

Hungary

  • 35.6 Public Health
    Directives
  • 52.5 Financial
    Response
  • 60 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 35.6 Public Health
    Directives
  • 52.5 Financial
    Response
  • 60 Fact-Based
    Communication

Hungary scores above the median, but limited testing, efforts to limit press freedom, and a very weak stimulus package have weakened its score over time.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Hungary’s low debt, healthy population, and minimal inequality result in it having relatively strong socio-economic conditions and healthcare capacity.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 71%
  • GDP/capita $35,941
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 30.6
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 4
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 79.6
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 50.4

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Mar 15.)
35.6

Public Health Directives

Hungary has a weak public health policy score, with some relaxed restrictions and very weak testing policy and low tests performed bringing its score down.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 3
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $71.98
  • Travel restrictions 4
  • Tests/1,000 people 378.2
  • Contact tracing 1
52.5

Financial Response

Despite generous debt support, Hungary scores near the median due to a very weak stimulus package.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 6.2%
  • Income support 1
  • Debt forebearance 1
60

Fact-Based Communication

Access to COVID-19-related press conferences has been restricted by Hungary’s government, which pre-selects journalists’ questions and has criminalized the spread of "fake news."

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 2

COVID-19 Status as of Mar 15

Hungary scores poorly in this category, as it continues to have high case and death rates after reopening; its relative positivity and death rates both rose substantially in the past two months.

  • Total deaths 7,926
  • Death rate per 100K 820.5
  • Total cases 524,196
  • Cases per 100K 156
  • Percent of positive tests 24.1
  • Change in positivity rates +9.7
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown Level 2 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 May 04 Restaurants and shops begin to reopen 3.83
2 May 18 Restaurants, public pools, zoos, and public baths begin to reopen in Budapest 2.69
3 Sep 01 Schools reopen, borders close 12.22
4 Nov 04 State of emergency reintroduced, with nighttime curfew, restricted hours for stores and businesses, restaurants closures, and restrictions on hotels guests and public gatherings 436.73
5 Jan 08 Extended restrictions until February 1st 300.92
6 Jan 28 Lockdown extended to March 1st 162.42
7 Mar 08 All non-essential shops closed for two weeks, along with kindergartens, schools, and gyms 279.08

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Regional Neighbors
  • 61
    Germany 2,585,385
    Cases     209
    Per 1M     10,229
    Deaths

    Germany has improved its score a bit in the past few months, after a sharp decline in the fall. Its improvements in contact tracing, which are already likely underestimated in the data, and restrictions on public gatherings, have played important roles in this turnaround, although there has been a recent spike in cases, likely due to both recent restriction relaxations and vaccine rollout issues.

  • 48.6
    Italy 3,238,394
    Cases     342
    Per 1M     22,432
    Deaths

    While hit hard by COVID-19, Italy’s reliance on facts and improved contact tracing has helped slow the spread and slightly improved its overall score since January.

  • 49.2
    Switzerland 573,815
    Cases     9
    Per 1M     1,254
    Deaths

    Switzerland's reliance on facts and an open media drove its score up to the median, helping to counter weak financial support and limited restrictions on social interactions.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million