Central Bank Base Rate in Hungary
The central bank base rate ended 2024 at 6.50%, compared to the end-2023 value of 10.75% and the figure a decade earlier of 2.10%. It averaged 3.66% over the last decade. For more interest rate information, visit our dedicated page.
Hungary Interest Rate Chart
Note: This chart displays Policy Interest Rate (%) for Hungary from 2024 to 2014.
Source: Macrobond.
Hungary Interest Rate Data
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Central Bank Base Rate (%, eop) | 0.60 | 2.40 | 13.00 | 10.75 | 6.50 |
3-Month Interbank Rate (%, eop) | 0.75 | 4.21 | 16.18 | 9.96 | 6.50 |
10-Year Bond Yield (%, eop) | 2.08 | 4.51 | 8.98 | 5.86 | 6.55 |
Central Bank leaves rates unchanged in May
Rates remain on hold as expected: At its meeting on 27 May, the Central Bank decided to leave the base rate unchanged at 6.50% for the eighth consecutive month, as markets had expected.
High inflation and inflation expectations trump weak economy: The key factors influencing the Central Bank's decision included above-target inflation through April and household inflation expectations more than doubling the headline rate. The Bank also noted persistent upside risks to inflation due to pressures from the services sector, the threat of rising tariffs, and souring investor sentiment hurting the value of the Hungarian currency. For the Bank, these factors took precedence over reigniting the domestic economy, which weakened unexpectedly in Q1 2025.
Most panelists expect rate cuts this year: The Central Bank provided no explicit forward guidance on the future direction of interest rates. Nevertheless, most of our panelists expect 25–100 basis point cuts by the end of the year, while a small minority see rates unchanged. Higher-for-longer inflation and a weaker-than-expected forint could further delay the Central Bank’s monetary policy easing cycle. The Bank’s next meeting is due for 24 June.
Panelist insight: Goldman Sachs’ Kevin Daly and Johan Allen said: “The guidance out of the [Central Bank] was broadly unchanged. The press release continued to include language that "a careful and patient approach to monetary policy remains necessary due to risks to the inflation environment as well as trade policy and geopolitical tensions" and that "maintaining tight monetary policy conditions is warranted". Our base case is that the MNB will recommence a cautious cutting cycle in Q3.” ING’s Peter Virovacz and Frantisek Taborsky held a more hawkish view: “We think it is safest to assume that the policy rate will remain at 6.50% for the rest of the year. However, we do not completely rule out the possibility of a deviation from this towards the end of the year, given the inflation risks and the sensitivity of the forint.”
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects Hungarian interest rate projections for the next ten years from a panel of 24 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable interest rate forecast available for Hungarian interest rate.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our Hungarian interest rate projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of Hungarian interest rate forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
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