Hungary - Economic sectors

Hungary's shift to a service-based economy, away from the agricultural and industry sectors, has been the most marked change in recent decades. Before World War II, Hungary's economy was based primarily on agriculture, and its industry was almost entirely destroyed by the war. During the communist period beginning in 1948, emphasis shifted toward the development of industry, although production goals were set unrealistically high and Hungary was not able to meet them. In the 1960s and 1970s economic reforms shifted some of the emphasis from industry and placed more focus on agriculture and consumer goods . More recently, services have come to dominate the economy. According to 1999 figures, services account for 65 percent of the GDP, compared to 30 percent in industry and only 5 percent in agriculture. The labor force of 4.2 million shows a similar distribution, with 65 percent employed in services, 27 percent in industry, and 8 percent in agriculture.