Long-Term Changes in the Spatial Pattern of Quality of Life in Hungary Since the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Pénzes, János and Szilágyi, Zsolt (2025) Long-Term Changes in the Spatial Pattern of Quality of Life in Hungary Since the Beginning of the Twentieth Century. HUNGARIAN STUDIES REVIEW, 52 (2). ISSN 0713-8083 (print); 1705-8422 (online) (In Press)

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Abstract

Long-term analyses frequently generate major methodological challenges. In the current study, an international indicator has been used for the case of Hungary. The modified and adapted so-called historical settlement-level Human Development Index (hsHDI) provides the methodological frame for the study. HDI is based on three components: GDP/income, educational attainment, and life expectancy. Five periods were included in the analysis. Significant changes were detected during this more than one-century-long period in the locations of the most and least developed settlements. The spatial pattern of hsHDI indicates a better situation in Transdanubia, while extended backward areas fall along the current border area even before the 1920 Trianon Peace Treaty. The Communist era had a major impact on the spatial structure, and increased living-quality values were observed in the northern Hungarian territory due to the state-supported mining and heavy industries. During the last decades—most occurring after the change of regime in 1989—significant restructuring was detected in the backward and developed settlements. The spatial structure of quality of life demonstrated increasing concentrations of high values in the surroundings of Budapest and the largest towns; low values in southwestern and northeastern Hungary were also observed.

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