The key findings of the pilot study Wellbeing and Happiness of the Hungarian population. This was part of the Wellbeing and Health Tourism in the Balkan countries (KTIA) study carried out at the Budapest Metropolitan University. Lead by Laszlo Puczko and Melanie Smith of Health Tourism Worldwide.

1. What makes Hungarian people
happy?
Quantitative results
Balkan Wellbeing Workshop
29 October, 2015

2. Methodology
 Objectives
 To compare Hungarian wellbeing levels with those of the Balkan countries
 Method:
 Quantitative consumer research: telephone interviews.
 Sample
 1,000 people
 Representative for age and gender
 Demographic data about the educational background and the type of settlement as
well.
 Questionnaire
 6 wellbeing, 2 image-orientated and 4 demographic questions
 166 variables
 Limits
 The limits of the telephone interviews as a data collection method. 1 year 2 months
difference (and changing trends) between the surveys!

3. Basic Facts about Hungary
 Total population: 9,955,000 (World Health Organization, 2013)
 Life expectancy (HDI, 2013): 74,6 (9th from 12 countries)
 Happy Planet Index (HPI, 2012): ranked 104 (9th from 11 countries/no data for
MNE - Albania the 40th, Macedonia the 140th)
 Gallup Wellbeing Study (2013): scores 1st together with Slovenia
in the 12 countries in thriving in at least one element from social,
purpose, physical, financial and community wellbeing
 39th in Global Age Watch Index (2015): 2nd from the 10
countries/no data for BIH and MK
 43th in Human Development Index (HDI, 2013): 3rd from the 12
countries
 104th in World Happiness Report (WHR, 2015): 11th from the
12 countries

4. Feeling Happy and Healthy
3,40
3,64
3,67
3,68
4,30
4,12
4,57
4,18
4,52
4,02
4,37
4,19
4,43
4,70
4,50
4,69
4,78
4,74
3,02
3,76
3,76
3,81
4,17
4,22
4,30
4,35
4,37
4,48
4,53
4,58
4,58
4,60
4,61
4,65
4,81
4,86
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Pets
Fulfilling travel desires
Day-time rest or siesta
Physical exercise/sport/gym
Using free time without any constraint
Interesting job
Income status
Success
Friends and social connections
Healthy food
Good quality night-time sleep
Having a job
A clean, green environment
Safety and security
Positive thinking
Love/being loved
Health status/conditions
Family
Balkan total Hungary

5. Feeling Healthy
3,5
2,6
2,8
4,0
3,6
3,9
2,6
2,1
4,5
4,2
0 1 2 3 4 5
I am completely healthy :
I have some condition(s) that need constant
attention/treatment :
Sometimes I have to travel to take some medical
treatments someplace else :
Healthy living/lifestyle is important to me :
I am making efforts of keeping myself healthy :
Balkan Total Hungary

6. Feeling Healthy
Compared to the Balkan
countries:
 Greeks and Albanians are
feeling the healthiest.
 Macedonians make the most
effort to be healthy and the
Hungarians the least.
 Hungarians, Romanians and
Bulgarians are below average
regarding their health state.
 Healthy living is the least
important for Hungarians and
Slovenians. 1,5
2,0
2,5
3,0
3,5
4,0
4,5
5,0
Bulgaria
Greece
Romania
Turkey
Albania
Macedonia
Croatia
Slovenia
Montenegro
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungary
Balkan Total

7. Feeling Happy
Hungarians are as unhappy as the Greeks , and they do much less than the others to
improve it, although they would like to be happy.
3,6
2,8
2,5
4,5
3,9
3,9
2,4
2,4
4,5
4,2
1 2 3 4 5
I am completely happy :
I have permanently some situation(s)/condition(s) that make me
unhappy :
Sometimes I have to travel to someplace else to regain
happiness :
Happy living/lifestyle is important to me :
I am making efforts of keeping myself happiness :
Balkan Hungary

8. Feeling Happy
Happiness is ALMOST as high as
the health status:
 People in Bosnia, Macedonia
and Montenegro are the
happiest, while Greeks and
Hungarians are the least
happy.
 Bulgaria, Hungary,Turkey and
Romania can be described as
having the strongest travel
need.
 Hungarians and Romanians do
the least for their happiness.
1,5
2,0
2,5
3,0
3,5
4,0
4,5
5,0
Bulgaria
Greece
Romania
Turkey
Albania
Macedonia
Croatia
Slovenia
Montenegro
Serbia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Hungary
Balkan total

9. Learnt Activities & Traditions
 92% of Hungarians learnt something that contributes to their happiness.
 Typical Balkan activties (e.g. music, non-religous spiritual activities) are not popular in Hungary.
 Using spas is the least important in Hungary (15%, Balkan ave. 50%; Slovenia (lowest in Balkan)
37%)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Nothing can improve my happiness
Participating in non-religious spiritual activities
Using natural healing resource
Spending time by the sea.
Dancing (traditional/folk
Using spas/steam/hammam
Singing, playing or listening to traditional music.
Following/taking traditional (herbal) remedies/Therapies
Participating in religious activities
Spending time in mountains
Spending time in woods and forests.
Spending time by lakes and rivers
Cooking and eating traditional food/cuisine
Positive thinking
Keeping close relationship with family and friends.
Learnt tradition
Balkan avarege Hungary

10. Practised Activities & Traditions
 Keeping close relationships, cooking traditional food, spending time by lakes and woods,
and using spas are the most popular.
 But the participation is much less than in the Balkan countries, mainly in activities
connected to outdoor activities.)
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Participating in non-religious spiritual activities / done
Spending time by the sea / done
Dancing (traditional/folk / done
Using natural healing resource/done
Participating in religious activities / done
Singing, playing or listening to traditional music / done
Spending time in mountains / done
Following/taking traditional (herbal) remedies / done
Using spas/steam/hammam /done
Spending time in woods and forests / done
Spending time by lakes and rivers / done
Cooking and eating traditional food/cuisine/ done
Keeping close relationship with family and friends / done
Balkan Hungary

11. Attitudes to the Term „Balkan”
2,76
2,93
2,95
3,26
3,39
3,41
3,41
3,46
3,49
3,49
3,55
3,59
3,74
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0
Hungary
Croatia
Greece
Slovenia
Total Balkan
Turkey
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Macedonia
Serbia
Albania
Montenegro
Romania
Bulgaria

12. The self-image of the countries can help
us to build a consistent Balkan brand.
The Balkan countries see themselves as:
 Mountainous and green
 Unstable and poor
 Traditional and local
Hungarians’ image of the Balkans is less
positive, they see the region as:
 Traditional and local
 Religious
 Poor
 Folk
Associations

13. lpuczko@metropolitan.hu
Main topics