Acta Inter Urbes [antikvár]

MANKÓ MÁRIAHUNGARY IN THE NINETIESI. STANDARD OF LIVING, INCOME SITUATIONIn Hungary, the transition of the economic and political system following more than four decades of socialism lasting from 1947 until 1990, proved to be more difficult than initially expected. A considerable decline in living standards can be observed, and the deterioration in the condition of the people has accelerated in terms of a number of measurements. From 1991 onwards unemployment has grown rapidly. There has also been a tendency towards growing income inequality. This differentiation was first of all related to the extent to which people could adapt themselves to the new conditions, to the conditions of the new economy. If we divide the population into deciles according to income, we can discover how many times greater is the average income of the highest 10% compared with that of the lowest. The results of Tamâs Kolosi and his colleagues' research show that the above value rose from the 5.03 of 1989 to 6.01 in 1994. This differentiation results from the fact that nowadays the gap between the income of higher income groups and that of the average income groups has widened, and the middle classes' income position has significantly deteriorated. According to the results of Tamâs Kolosi's research, the period between 1989 and 1994 saw a definite decrease in the income of as much as two thirds of the population, while for a further 13% it remained stagnant. Referring to the above-mentioned period, every fifth person reported a slight increase in his/her income, every sixth person reported a substantial growth in his/her income, while only every twentieth person declared that his/her income had as much as doubled.The people constituting the 2 groups with the highest income are1. Those who have belonged to this group before.They remained in these groups in spite of the fact that for about 50% of them trends in their income have meant relegation into the second income decile. Even so their income is much higher than the average. Their continued position in this group can be explained by former connections, relationship