80.1 Overall Score

Hungary

Data as of Aug 1
Next 》

62.2 Public Health
Directives
94.2 Financial
Response
60 Fact-Based
Communication

62.2 Public Health
Directives
94.2 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 Aug 1.)

62.2

Public Health Directives

Hungary has relatively strong public health policy, although its very limited testing and relaxed lockdown keep it from scoring higher.

Stay at home order 0
Public gathering restrictions 2
School closings 1
Public event cancellations 1
Testing policy 1
Emergency healthcare investments/capita $72.46
Travel restrictions 3
Tests/1,000 people 0.3
Contact tracing 2

94.2

Financial Response

Hungary’s stimulus package is fairly small, although its generous income and debt support help to keep its financial response score very strong.

Financial stimulus as share of GDP 3.6%
Income support 2
Debt forebearance 2

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 Aug 1

Hungary is very strong in this category, consistent across all subcategories, especially its very low positivity rate, but its mounting press limitations raise concerns about the accuracy of numbers and how transparent and accountable the government will be moving forward.

Total deaths 596
Death rate per 100K 61.7
Total cases 4,505
Cases per 100K 466
Percent of positive tests 0.4

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

Differentiating Factors

Emergency powers consolidate control: Prime Minister Orban has been granted wide-reaching emergency powers to respond to coronavirus, but this has led to cover-ups and press suppression by the government which has been hostile to journalists for several years already. Read More
Lack of ventilators caused concern: Hungary's tax-payer funded healthcare system is widely available, and free for children, parents and the elderly, however before the pandemic hit it was already suffering from a shortage of ICU beds and ventilators. Read More
Economic downturn affects young people the most: The Defense Ministry has reported that applications to join the military have doubled since January, as more and more young people seek a stable career in the face of what is predicted to be a devastating economic downturn. Read More

Compared with Regional Neighbors

67.2
Germany 209,653
Cases 2,502
Per 1M 9,141
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.
65.6
Italy 247,537
Cases 4,094
Per 1M 35,141
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.
44.2
Switzerland 35,070
Cases 4,052
Per 1M 1,703
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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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