Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Hungary instead of United States, you would:

Health

be 27.1% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Hungary, that number is 26.4% of people as of 2016.

live 3.4 years less

In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. In Hungary, that number is 77 years (74 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2022.

Economy

be 19.9% less likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. In Hungary, however, that number is 12.1% as of 2021.

pay a 62.1% lower top tax rate

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6% as of 2016. In Hungary, the top tax rate is 15.0% as of 2016.

make 45.2% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $64,600 as of 2022, while in Hungary, the GDP per capita is $35,400 as of 2022.

Life

be 28.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 21.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Hungary, 15.0 women do as of 2020.

be 10.6% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.2 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Hungary, on the other hand, 4.6 children do as of 2022.

have 25.4% fewer children

In United States, there are approximately 12.2 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Hungary, there are 9.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

Expenditures

spend 21.3% less on education

United States spends 6.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Hungary spends 4.8% of total GDP on education as of 2020.

spend 61.2% less on healthcare

United States spends 18.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Hungary, that number is 7.3% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook, National Tax and Customs Administration of Hungary, Internal Revenue Service.

Hungary: At a glance

Hungary is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 89,608 sq km. Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
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How big is Hungary compared to United States? See an in-depth size comparison.

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