The Majority of Hungarians Support the 13th and 14th Month Pension
From January this year, pensions increased by 3.6 percent, and in February—together with regular monthly pensions—pensioners will receive both the 13th month pension and the first instalment of the 14th month pension. According to a survey conducted by the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families (KINCS), the majority of Hungarians support the 13th month pension (77%), and two-thirds also agree with the gradual introduction of the 14th month pension. Nine out of ten respondents believe that the state should give priority to ensuring the livelihood of old people, while 84 percent are of the opinion that the ’Women 40’ preferential pension scheme—also known as the grandmother’s pension—should be maintained in the future.
In December 2025—following the model of the introduction of the 13th month pension—the government decided on the step-by-step introduction of the 14th month pension. Accordingly, in February 2026 Hungarian pensioners will receive, in addition to their regular monthly pension, the full amount of the 13th month pension as well as one quarter of the 14th month pension, representing an average additional payment of HUF 65,000. Moreover, for those who receive their pension by postal delivery, the payment will arrive earlier than usual, already at the beginning of the month.
According to the results of KINCS’s latest representative survey, 77 percent of Hungarians support the idea that older fellow citizens should receive a 13th month pension every year, while 67 percent also agree that pension benefits should be supplemented with a 14th month pension. Support for these additional pension benefits is particularly strong among those directly affected—people over the age of 65—but large families and residents of villages also show high levels of support for maintaining the 13th month pension and introducing the 14th month pension.
An overwhelming majority of Hungarians believe that the government should give priority to ensuring the livelihood of old people (88%), and 95 percent consider it important that not only the income of those in employment, but also that of pensioners should increase every year. Eighty-one percent of Hungarians—especially young people and families with young children—reject the claim that pensioners do not deserve the 13th and 14th month pensions. This reflects the existence of intergenerational solidarity and the high level of social appreciation accorded to old people.
A similar level of social consensus can be observed with regard to the ’Women 40’ programme: 84 percent of respondents consider the preferential pension for women to be a good opportunity that should be preserved in the future. The grandmother’s pension, which has enabled more than 400,000 women to retire since 2011, is regarded as fair by a majority of respondents (71%), and even a majority of opposition voters (78%) believe that this opportunity should be maintained going forward.
Hungarian society therefore demonstrates broad, cross-generational agreement on the importance of supporting old people and ensuring their financial security. According to the survey results, this consensus is also reflected at the local level, as nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) feel that pensioners are respected in their own communities. Measures aimed at strengthening the financial security and improving the standard of living of older people in Hungary enjoy widespread support regardless of age or political views.
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