Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
In Hungary, the official entrance age to pre-primary education is three years old. There are three years of compulsory pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks. As of 2023, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes was 82.96%.
Governance
The Minister of the Interior is responsible for overseeing the pre-primary system in Hungary; however, the management of pre-primary education is primarily the responsibility of municipalities. Kindergartens are held in general education institutions and are compulsory for children aged 3-6. As of 2013, the funding of kindergartens and schools has been separated.
Children younger than three attend nurseries which are under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.
Kindergartens are largely funded by the budgets of municipalities, who are the maintenance entities of their local kindergartens. Other maintainers may include the state, minority self-governments, and other legal organizations or people.
Tuition-free status
There are three years of free pre-primary education granted in legal frameworks.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The municipal budgets for kindergartens may come from normal and targeted state support.
The main equity-focused funding tools are normative and equalization grants. Normative grants are based on factors such as the number of children and type of institution. As of 2013, the state government has begun to calculate normative support based on the average wage to subsidize the costs of staff wages. Equalization grants aim to reduce gaps between rich and poor areas by considering local tax income, population size, and the number of children or elderly. While the exact funding formulas are not always published, they generally combine a base amount per person with extra support for areas with greater needs.
Targeted grants can only be obtained through applications.
2. Education resources to institutions
The distribution of funds to public kindergarten institutions is primarily determined by the municipality which maintains the kindergarten. State maintained kindergartens receive funding from the central budget through school district centers, like the system for basic education (see Hungary’s Financing for Equity in Education PEER profile).
Nurseries may receive subsidies from the government to cover the tuition fees for children from disadvantaged families. The subsidy for nurseries is based on the difference between the cost of services and the financial support already allocated from the National Budget.
Private institutions may also receive state subsidies under the condition that all regulations are met.
Integration Programme (IPR)
The "Integration Programme" (Integrációs Pedagógiai Rendszer – IPR), introduced in the early 2000s, is a major policy initiative designed to promote educational inclusion, particularly for Roma children, students from low socio-economic backgrounds, and those with special educational needs. The IPR provides financial incentives and professional development to schools implementing inclusive education strategies. The programme provides extra per-pupil funding to kindergartens and schools with many disadvantaged or Roma children through annual application-based tenders.
The Special Needs Education (SNE) Framework
This framework integrates students with special educational needs into mainstream schools whenever possible. Resource allocation to kindergartens is not formula-based but is determined by individual assessments, with institutions receiving state support based on the diagnosed needs of the students.
3. Education resources to students and families
No education resources from the Ministry of Education were found.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Social Inclusion Strategy 2030
The Social Inclusion Strategy 2030 utilises both national and EU funding to support poor, Roma, and socially excluded families. The strategy’s education component provides school start packages, meals, textbooks, and early childhood education support, with a focus on territorially disadvantaged communities, multiply disadvantaged children, and Roma populations.
The Child Raising Support in Hungary, known as GYET (gyermeknevelési támogatás), is a financial benefit aimed at all families with three or more minor children. It provides a monthly allowance from the time the youngest child turns three until they reach eight years old, usually the age when compulsory education begins. In 2025, the allowance is HUF 28,500 per month, and recipients pay a 10% pension contribution.
The Family Allowance Programme
The Family Allowance Programme, also known as the childcare and education allowance, provides financial support to parents, guardians, or foster parents raising children in their own households. This benefit is linked to the child’s educational progress and is paid throughout compulsory education.
Child Protection Benefits
Municipalities may establish child protection benefits to help support children from extremely low-income families or children with serious illness.
School Meals
School meals are provided in kindergarten through the Institutional Child Catering programme. Families may be eligible to receive these meals either free or at a discount depending on their financial or social situation. School meals must be provided free if the child receives regular protection benefit, if they are disabled or have a sibling who is disabled, if they live in a family with three or more children, if the family is low-income, or if the child is in foster care. In nurseries, approximately 67% of children receive free meals.
In several municipalities nursery care is completely free. Nationally, nursery fees do not apply to children from families that receive the child protection allowance, single households with three or more children, or if the child is disabled. According to the Child Protection Act, the regular monthly per-capita income must be considered when determining the individual fee. The fee must not exceed 25% of the family’s net per capita income.
