Hungary’s budget deficit widened to a record HUF 2,311 billion in August 2026, up sharply from a HUF 239.1 billion shortfall a year earlier, largely reflecting the pre-financing of projects backed by the European Union, the Finance Ministry said. The ministry expects reimbursements for the pre-financed expenditures to boost government revenues in December. Excluding the impact of these items, the August deficit would have been considerably smaller at HUF 124.3 billion.