The study was quick to touch on the fact that Hungarians have less dispensable income for such activities. They tend to stay at home and play video games (60%) and do gardening.

Office clerk Janos Szabo, 52, told Budapest Report that he had not been to a movie theatre or a play theatre for almost 15 years. “Prices are so expensive and our salaries have not followed the inflation of the forint,” he complained.

Taxi driver Zoltan Toth, 47, says that about 20-25 years ago elderly people would flag a cab to go to the opera, coffee shop or even a museum. “Nowadays I have absolutely no elderly pensioners who want to go for a social fun ride for a few blocks in Budapest. I now exclusively have corporate clients who are working on contract with my company,” he said.

The GfK study reveals that 90% of those answering the survey said they prefer to stay at home and listen to music on the radio or simply watch television. About 70% (mostly men) prefer to read newspapers and 60% (mostly women) prefer to read magazines and books.

The survey however also revealed that less Hungarians are receiving party guests in their own homes, most likely because partying is an expensive past-time. Only about 40% said they invite friends and colleagues to party or dine with them (compare this to nearly 70% in Italy)."

The study showed that less Hungarians are willing to turn time towards expanding horizons in the area of entertainment, culture and arts.

By Tamas S. Kiss published on XpatLoop.com with the permission of BudapestReport.com