Examination of Income Inequalities of Hungarian Households in 2012 Using a Microsimulation Model

Abstract

The paper estimates the distribution of income of the Hungarian households in 2012. Since the first statistical data concerning the incomes of 2012 will be available only in 2014, the figures have been determined by a microsimulation model. It ages the income data of the official Household Budget Survey (HBS) of 2010 published in 2012 by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. The early information on income distribution among different social strata is useful for both policy makers and for researchers. The HBS is a representative sample of households; therefore their weights have to be adjusted in every step of the microsimulation, assuring the best fit to already known macroeconomic data. This means that the model is dynamic although statically aged. The income inequalities are presented by income deciles, by the number of dependent children, by age structure of households, by activity status and by region and settlement types.