Aspiring to a better life, or surviving on the minimum? Explaining the discrepancies between Hungarians’ declared and real financial situation

Abstract

Recent comparison of the consumer confidence of Hungarians with their spending reveals numerous cases when individuals became less confident about their financial situation (expecting it to get worse), yet continued – and even increased – spending, rather contradicting initial expectations. This discrepancy cannot be explained by general, national financial indicators, as income and inflation only provide a partial understanding of the difference between confidence and spending. A review of further determinants highlights the similarities between trends in confidence, poverty, and the social gap, suggesting that the revision and consideration of social benchmarks and previous income trends are significant determinants of consumer confidence and spending.