Megélhetés

Megélhetés is a Hungarian term that denotes the means by which an individual or household sustains life. It encompasses the resources and income required to cover basic needs such as housing, food, clothing, health care, and education. The level of megélhetés includes wages, salaries, self-employment income, pensions, social benefits, and other transfers, as well as access to goods and services. It is influenced by the cost of living in a given place and by household size and composition.

The word is formed from megélni, meaning “to live,” with the abstract noun suffix -hetés. In Hungarian usage it is often paired with megélhetési minimum to denote the minimum income necessary to cover essential expenses. The term is common in sociology, economics, and public policy when discussing living standards, poverty thresholds, and social protection programs.

Factors affecting megélhetés include wage levels, employment security, working hours, inflation, housing costs, taxes, and access to social services. Policy discussions in Hungary frequently address megélhetés in the context of poverty reduction, minimum wage, family support, housing subsidies, and health and education access. The concept is linked to broader ideas about living standards or subsistence thresholds used to assess whether a household can cover essential expenses.

Historically, megélhetés has evolved with economic systems and welfare arrangements. In Hungary’s post-socialist period, shifts in labor markets, price levels, and social policy have influenced typical megélhetés levels and the distribution of living standards across regions and generations.