Social mobility in Hungary is one of the worst in the EU, according to the latest report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), made ahead of the Davos meeting. Out of the 82 examined countries, Hungary, scoring 65.8 points, is 37th in the world overall.
In the EU, only Bulgaria (40th), Romania (42nd), and Greece (48th), came in behind Hungary. Five Nordic countries (Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Iceland) top the list, followed by the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Slovenia is 13th, Czech Rep. is 19th, Poland is 30th, Slovakia 32nd, Croatia 36th, and Serbia 41st.
According to the World Economic Forum’s website, the Global Social Mobility Index, instead of earnings or outcomes, focuses on drivers of relative social mobility. While social mobility can be understood as the movement in personal circumstances either “upwards” or “downwards” of an individual in relation to those of their parents, relative social mobility is an assessment of the impact of socio-economic background on an individual’s outcomes in life.
The index is calculated based on ten pillars: health, education access, education quality & equity, lifelong learning, technology access, work opportunities, fair wage distribution, working conditions, social protection, and inclusive institutions.
featured image: illustration; via MTI/Ujvári Sándor