The increase reflects continued wage growth across the business, budgetary, and non-profit sectors, outpacing inflation and resulting in a 4.6% rise in real earnings.
Net earnings, including tax benefits, averaged HUF 459,000 in January, up 10.2% from a year earlier. Excluding tax benefits, net earnings stood at HUF 444,300, also marking a 10.4% year-on-year increase.
Regular gross earnings—excluding bonuses and one-time payments—climbed 10.6% to HUF 639,800. Sector-specific data showed that regular gross earnings were highest in the non-profit sector at HUF 668,300, followed by the budgetary sector at HUF 645,100 and the business sector at HUF 635,400. These figures represent annual increases of 11.5%, 11.9%, and 10.2%, respectively.
The increase in real earnings came despite a 5.5% rise in consumer prices compared to January 2024, suggesting that wage growth continues to outpace inflation.
Median earnings also saw solid gains. Median gross earnings rose 9.3% to HUF 539,500, while median net earnings including tax benefits also climbed 9.3%, reaching HUF 373,600.
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