Survey Shows What Worries Hungarians the Most

According to a recent national survey, Hungarian citizens are most worried about inflation, deteriorating healthcare, and the domestic economic and political situation, while for a sense of security they need good health, a secure job, and strong family and relationship ties, writes Pénzcentrum.

Health, a secure job, strong family and relationship ties – these three factors were identified by most people as the most important foundations for their sense of security in a new, national representative research study conducted by the Hungarian Association of Pension and Health Care Funds, in connection with the ongoing financial quiz for secondary school students, the Money Masters (Pénzmesterek).

The top five security factors include owning a home and having good healthcare, which were considered to be of high importance by four out of ten respondents.

A high income is less important, while a secure income in old age, peace, political and economic stability in Hungary, and good public safety are considered important by only a quarter of respondents. In contrast to the paramount importance of family and relationship ties, only few people consider strong ties of friendship to be really important, but the situation is similar for the role of Europe’s economic and political stability.

One interesting aspect of the research is that the responses suggest that personal relationships provide more security for women than for men. The importance of a secure income in old age unsurprisingly increases spectacularly with age: while it is only important to 13% of those under 30, it is the most important factor in the sense of security for those over 60, with 59% citing it, ahead of health.

Compared to younger people, good healthcare (51%) and the economic and political stability of the country (39%) are also much more important for older people.

Alongside the question on security, the researchers also asked what worries fellow citizens most today.

The biggest concern is rising prices, mentioned by six out of ten respondents.

This is followed by deteriorating healthcare (49%) and the economic and political situation in Hungary (39%). The weakening of the forint, deteriorating education, international political uncertainty (threats, wars, etc.), the deterioration of the respondent’s own health, and the rising cost of housing and renting seem to be problems of similar importance: around a quarter of the respondents are worried about these. Reduction in income, poverty in old age, climate change, depreciation of savings, and unemployment are feared by one fifth of respondents.

In terms of gender differences, women are more worried about inflation and the deterioration of their own health, while the opposite is true for concerns about the economic and political situation at home, worrying nearly half of men compared to a third of women.

Broken down by age, the data shows that rising prices are a particular concern for those aged 30-39, with two-thirds citing it as one of their most pressing concerns.

Housing price rises are most acute for the under-30s, while concerns about deteriorating health unsurprisingly increase with age and are most pronounced for the over-60s. Concern about the risk of poverty in old age increases significantly with age, first among people in their 40s (22%), but becomes a real concern in the 50-59 age group (40%).

Via Pénzcentrum, Featured photo via Pixabay