Hungary’s authoritarian leader has granted himself dictatorial powers, but his neglect of the country’s health system and his powerlessness in the face of a depreciating currency will come back to haunt him.
61.9
Overall Score
(down 18.2 since Aug 1st.)
- 44.1 Public Health
Directives - 60.4 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 Oct 1.)
44.1
Public Health Directives
Hungary scores near the median on public health policy, driven by limited testing, few emergency healthcare funds, and limited restrictions on public gatherings, although it does have strong contact tracing.
- Stay at home order 0
- Public gathering restrictions 2
- School closings 1
- Public event cancellations 1
- Testing policy 1
- Emergency healthcare investments/capita $71.94
- Travel restrictions 4
- Tests/1,000 people 75.3
- Contact tracing 2
60.4
Financial Response
Though it had a modest stimulus package, Hungary’s generous income and debt support help keep its score relatively strong.
- Financial stimulus as share of GDP 6.2%
- Income support 0
- 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 Oct 1
After months of reporting extremely low case rates, Hungary has experienced a spike in case rates as the country has reopened.
- Total deaths 781
- Death rate per 100K 80.8
- Total cases 27,309
- Cases per 100K 2,827
- Percent of positive tests 8.7
- Change in positivity rates +8.3
Case Trend Line
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 | 14.02 |
Differentiating Factors
- 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
- Foreign minister threatens to fire diplomats over teleworking during pandemic: Hungary's Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, has said he will fire any diplomats who request to work from a home office, arguing the job requires a personal touch. Read More
- 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
-
72.8Germany 291,722
Cases 3,482
Per 1M 9,500
DeathsGermany 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.
-
66Italy 314,861
Cases 5,208
Per 1M 35,894
DeathsWhile 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.
-
45.2Switzerland 53,162
Cases 6,143
Per 1M 1,782
DeathsSwitzerland'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.
Further Reading From Foreign Policy
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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