59 Overall Score (down 21.1 since Aug 1st.)

Hungary

  • 65.1 Public Health
    Directives
  • 67.2 Financial
    Response
  • 60 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 65.1 Public Health
    Directives
  • 67.2 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 Jan 1.)
65.1

Public Health Directives

Hungary has a relatively strong public health score, driven by its restrictions on public interactions, but its very limited testing weakens its score.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 2
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $71.98
  • Travel restrictions 4
  • Tests/1,000 people 232.4
  • Contact tracing 1
67.2

Financial Response

Hungary’s generous income and debt support helped keep its score relatively strong, but this support has become weaker since the fall.

  • 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 Jan 1

Hungary scores poorly in this category, as it continues to have high case and death rates after reopening, following months of relatively low numbers.

  • Total deaths 9,667
  • Death rate per 100K 1000.7
  • Total cases 325,278
  • Cases per 100K 33,672
  • Percent of positive tests 14.4
  • Change in positivity rates +5.7
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 6.68
2 May 18 Restaurants, public pools, zoos, and public baths begin to reopen in Budapest 3.71
3 Sep 01 Schools reopen, borders close 15.41
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 370.51

Differentiating Factors

  • Immunity passports to Hungary: Hungary reopened its overall closed borders to travelers who had recovered from COVID-19 in the fall. Read More
  • Hungary to test Russian vaccine: Hungary said that ten initial doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine for COVID-19 will be tested in Hungary, and a Hungarian drug manufacturer was negotiating with Russia about domestic production of the vaccine. Read More
  • Hungary, Poland get concessions on COVID-19 EU relief: The EU agrees to modify rule-of-law language in a COVID-19 relief bill held up by Hungary and Poland; new language specifies that money needs to be spent on specific items, and not refer to broad rule-of-law issues. Read More
  • Hungary's pandemic response harms healthcare sector: Hungary's heavy- (and light-) handed tactics to combat COVID-19, including seizing control of hospitals with no clear qualifications for those put in charge, moving cancer patients out of beds, but not increasing testing nor implementing lockdown conditions, has resulted in a devastated healthcare sector. Read More
  • "War plans" drafted, schools stay open: New strategy proposed new plans to open up and defend the economy. Despite new daily case number record, schools plan to stay open. Read More
  • Hungary to close borders: In an effort to slow down rising COVID-19 cases, Hungary will close down its borders to foreigners on September 1st and require all Hungarians returning from abroad to go into quarantine until they have had two negative tests. Read More
  • Hungary moves to end state of emergency: Hungary moved to end the state of emergency prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but critics suggest that Prime Minister Orban used it to consolidate power to the point that it was no longer needed. Read More
Compared with Regional Neighbors
  • 52.6
    Germany 1,762,637
    Cases     21,038
    Per 1M     34,145
    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.

  • 43.4
    Italy 2,129,376
    Cases     35,219
    Per 1M     74,621
    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.

  • 41.2
    Switzerland 452,296
    Cases     52,261
    Per 1M     7,704
    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