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1. Housing

2. Social services

3. Health care

4. Financial services

5. Quality assurance

Housing

The Family Housing Support Programme (in Hungarian: Családi Otthonteremtési Kedvezmény) addresses young (married) couples, and it mainly aims to help them to purchase or build a property with a low-cost, state-subsidised loan scheme. It also aims to ease the problems of Hungary regarding the decline in population. It is available from 2024 and the maximum available amount of up to HUF 50 million (about EUR 128 000). Applications for this scheme are open to the public from January 2024.

From July 2019, the government introduced another form, the 'Village Family Housing Support Programme' (in Hungarian: Falusi Családi Otthonteremtési Kedvezmény) for those who live in villages, which is available in nearly 2 500 disadvantaged small town or peripheral villages. The age of the mother must be under 41.

According to the latest data of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, between 2016 and 2024, nearly 263 000 housing support was granted in HUF 649.2 billion (around EUR 1.6 billion).

In Hungary, interest subsidies existed from 2009 in different forms and with various conditions. In general, their aim was always to support building, buying, or, in some cases, renovating a house. At first, it was available only to families with at least 2 children; then it dropped to 1 child; and the current scheme is also available to spouses planning to have a child(ren). However, this measure is not specifically aimed at social inclusion, but it can help young people purchase housing that is more suitable for raising children.

Social services

In Hungary, social policies targeting young people are mainly related to employment issues, job creation, family support and child protection systems. (For more information, see 3. Employment and Entrepreneurship.)

Discounts on school meals are available for children in crèches, nursery schools and public education institutions based on the Act XXXI of 1997 on Child Protection (1997. évi XXXI. törvény a gyermekek védelméről és a gyámügyi igazgatásról). This benefit covers 50% or 100% of the price of school meals. The prerequisite for the application is the submission of an income declaration. Since 2016, it has been the responsibility of the municipalities to regularly distribute free meals for disadvantaged and multiply disadvantaged children during school holidays when crèches, kindergartens and primary schools are closed. This measure costs HUF 159 billion (about EUR 397 million) in 2026 based on the Act LXIX of 2025 on the Central Budget of Hungary for 2026 (2025. évi LXIX. törvény Magyarország 2026. évi központi költségvetéséről).

Previously, the Hungarian Government provided textbooks free of charge to schoolchildren who are or live in tough conditions. From September 2020, it is free for all students in public education and vocational training according to the amendment of Act CXC of 2011 on National Public Education (2011. évi CXC. törvény a nemzeti köznevelésről). A budget of HUF 19 billion (about EUR 47.5 million) is available for that measure in 2026 based on the Act LXIX of 2025 on the Central Budget of Hungary for 2026 (2025. évi LXIX. törvény Magyarország 2026. évi központi költségvetéséről).

Health care

In Hungary, based on the Act CLIV of 1997 on Health

'Each patient shall have a right, within the frameworks provided by law, to appropriate and continuously accessible health care justified by his health condition, without any discrimination. […] The objective of youth health care is to promote the balanced physical and emotional development of minors.'

Hungarian healthcare is free for all, guaranteed by law. It is partly financed by tax-based health insurance contributions. Children up to 16 years are eligible for the provisions, just like young people who are enrolled in full-time education.

The National Health Insurance Fund

'The National Health Insurance Fund (in Hungarian: Nemzeti Egészségbiztosítási Alapkezelő, NEAK), as a central agency, performs the functions set out in legislation, carries out the tasks relating to the management of the NEAK, the maintenance of records, keeping financial accounts and fulfilling the reporting obligation.

The NEAK is supervised by the Government of Hungary; the central official organ of health insurance is managed by the Government through the Minister of Interior.'

Financial services

Regular child protection benefit

Regular child protection benefit is provided upon need, based on an income test. For those eligible, other benefits are also offered, such as 50% or 100% reimbursement of the cost of school meals (see above). For young people pursuing full-time higher education, a regular child protection benefit can also be paid after reaching the age of majority until the age of 25. 

The government launched a specific support programme in 2024 for families who receive this benefit. They provide free school kits to 1^st–8^th grade children in these families for six years. The budget of the project is nearly HUF 7 billion (about EUR 17.5 million) and in the 2024–2025 academic year 84 000 students received the free school kits.

Exceptional child protection benefit

Exceptional child protection benefit is a form of financial support for individuals with children who are in an exceptional life situation or crisis, or for young people who have reached the age of majority and are living separately from their parents, but are facing existential difficulties or whose livelihood is at risk. It is granted when needed and is based on an income assessment. The municipalities decide whether to grant this benefit.

Orphans' allowance

Biological, adopted or foster children of the deceased are entitled to orphans' allowance, as well as siblings and grandchildren in the same household if they were dependent on the deceased and there is no relative who is obliged and able to provide maintenance for them. The allowance is paid up to the age of 16. If a young person is pursuing full-time higher education, the orphan's allowance may also be paid after reaching the age of majority up to the age of 25.

Young people with reduced capacity to work are entitled to this benefit without age limit. The minimum amount of the orphan's allowance is HUF 50 000 (about EUR 125), but the exact amount calculated is 30% of the old-age pension the deceased was receiving at the time of death. The support is doubled for those who have lost both parents or whose living single parent has a reduced capacity to work.

Bursa Hungarica Higher Education Municipal Scholarship System

The Bursa Hungarica Higher Education Municipal Scholarship System has been operating since the school year 2000–2001. It supports the studies of socially disadvantaged young people. Being enrolled in full-time higher education studies is a prerequisite. It is funded through an allocation by the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium) in the budget of municipalities, regional authorities and higher education institutions. 

Baby waiting support for young married couples

The 'Baby waiting support' ('Babaváró támogatás') is a state-subsidised, interest-free loan intended to financially support married couples planning to have children. Beginning 1 July 2019, baby waiting support for young married couples was available as a maximum one-time loan of HUF 10 million (about EUR 25 600). From 2024, the maximum amount is modified to HUF 11 million (about EUR 28 200) based on the Government Decree 44/2019. (III. 12.) on the 'Baby waiting support' [44/2019. (III. 12.) Korm. rendelet a babaváró támogatásról]. The wife has to be at least 18 years old, and no older than 35 and this has to be her first marriage. Basically, this is not an inclusive financial support; the main aim is to support population policy.

The loan has several benefits, such as for the first baby born, the couple does not have to pay the loan repayments for 3 years; for the second baby born, the total amount of money to be paid back is reduced by 30%, and the loan repayments get paused for 3 years; if a third child is born, the couple does not have to pay back the remaining part of the loan.

Quality assurance

Monitoring is mainly done through statistics and the aggregation of user counts and their data. 

Every year, the central budget plan is published in legislation (the latest one is the Act LXIX of 2025 on the Central Budget of Hungary for 2026 (2025. évi LXIX. törvény Magyarország 2026. évi központi költségvetéséről). The Hungarian Central Statistical Office collects a wide range of data, such as on social care or child protection expenditure, which is available on its website. Healthcare expenditures are managed by National Health Insurance Fund, from which official statistical reports can be requested but they are not published on their website.