Real interest rate in Hungary
Hungary: Real interest rate was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Hungary, 1988–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, real interest rate in Hungary stood at 1.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.9% on the previous year and up 1,743.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Hungary peaked at 9.5% in 1992 and was at its lowest, -4.2%, in 2020.
That places Hungary 110th out of 149 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Hungary, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 0.2% | — |
| 1989 | 1.3% | +662.6% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | +84.0% |
| 1991 | -0.4% | -116.8% |
| 1992 | 9.5% | -2390.3% |
| 1993 | 3.4% | -64.0% |
| 1994 | 6.6% | +93.6% |
| 1995 | 4.6% | -30.0% |
| 1996 | 4.4% | -5.5% |
| 1997 | 1.3% | -71.4% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | +287.3% |
| 1999 | 7.6% | +56.8% |
| 2000 | 2.7% | -63.9% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | -64.2% |
| 2002 | 2.0% | +100.3% |
| 2003 | 4.0% | +102.5% |
| 2004 | 7.3% | +83.7% |
| 2005 | 5.8% | -21.1% |
| 2006 | 4.3% | -26.3% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | -18.7% |
| 2008 | 5.1% | +48.5% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | +27.5% |
| 2010 | 4.9% | -24.7% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | +27.2% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | -5.1% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | -43.3% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -78.3% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | -87.8% |
| 2016 | 0.8% | +751.6% |
| 2017 | -2.5% | -424.8% |
| 2018 | -3.2% | +31.0% |
| 2019 | -2.8% | -12.2% |
| 2020 | -4.2% | +48.6% |
| 2021 | -3.0% | -28.2% |
| 2022 | -2.9% | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | -109.3% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | +433.7% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +13.9% |
Hungary compared with similar countries
- Hungary's 1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 60% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Hungary's 1.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.2%, 74% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Hungary changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | +2390.3% | -0.4% | 9.5% |
| 2016 | +751.6% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
| 1989 | +662.6% | 0.2% | 1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.2% | 1.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | -0.4% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 1.0% | 7.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | -3.2% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.1% | -4.2% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Hungary
More financial sector data for Hungary
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 43.35 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0012 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 31.66 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0017 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 43.35 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Hungary?
- Real interest rate in Hungary was 1.6% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Hungary?
- The highest recorded value was 9.5% in 1992.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Hungary?
- The lowest recorded value was -4.2% in 2020.
- How does Hungary rank for real interest rate?
- Hungary ranks 110th out of 149 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Hungary?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1,743.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Hungary data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.