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• The Social Faces of Elderly Poverty in Hungary

  Katalin Talyigás

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  Elderly poverty in Hungary is an increasingly important social issue, extending far beyond income deficiency to encompass multiple deprivations: material deprivation, health deterioration, housing insecurity, digital disadvantages, weakening social connections, and loneliness, particularly affecting women, rural dwellers, singles, and those with low education levels.

  The study aims to present the forms of elderly poverty, contributing social factors (e.g., effects of the regime change, life-course disruptions, declining family support), and to examine how local, community, and professional policy interventions can mitigate risks, ensuring a dignified, secure, and participation-based old age.

  The analysis employs a descriptive-analytical approach, processing domestic (KSH, 2024) and international (Eurostat, 2024; Eurofound, 2022) statistics, literature (e.g., Albert & Dávid, 2019; Walker & Zaidi, 2020), and case studies (e.g., an elderly woman in a panel apartment making daily sacrifices), integrated with EU legal frameworks (Charter of Fundamental Rights).

  20.3% of those aged 65+ face poverty or exclusion risk (EU average: 17.2%), severe deprivation at 9% (EU: <5%), over 430,000 receive <140,000 HUF/month pension; low digital usage (35-40%, EU: 65%), poor health indicators (5.3-6.5 healthy years); these accumulate to reinforce hidden poverty: deferred medications, social withdrawal, stress, and isolation.

  Responses must be multi-level: developing community programs (clubs, volunteer networks), digital competency training (courses, helper programs), targeted supports (housing, utilities), health preservation (prevention, age-friendly settlements), and local data collection to recognize invisible poverty and strengthen social cohesion.