Hungary: Gross Wage Growth Slows in February.

Hungary’s gross average wages rose by 9.7% year-on-year to HUF 725,500 in February 2026, slowing sharply from a nearly four-year high of 26.3% increase in the previous month, when a one-off boost from service allowances (so-called gun money) for national defense and law enforcement personnel significantly inflated earnings. Wage growth in the public sector eased markedly, rising 13.4% after surging 99% in January, while income in both the non-profit (10.3% vs 9.4%) and private sectors (8.6% vs 7.8%) increased at a faster pace. Excluding one-off payments and bonuses, February wages were 10% higher compared to the same period a year earlier, reaching HUF 691,300. Considering the first two months of the year, average gross wages grew 18% from the same period last year to HUF 783,000.