More than two million people in Hungary volunteer each year, but the rate of formal, organised volunteering remains low. Bettina Bifkovics, a doctoral student at Corvinus University of Budapest, and Andrea Béla-Csovcsics, assistant lecturer at the University of Szeged, examined the obstacles to volunteering. Their findings were published in the November 2025 issue of Budapest Management Review. 

Three main barriers 

A total of 264 people, mostly young adults, took part in a three-month online survey. The researchers identified the obstacles that appeared most strongly in the sample: 

The study found that those who are not currently volunteering are especially held back by the limited visibility of opportunities and the feeling that they have no spare time. Concerns about skills were most common among younger participants who are still studying. 

The research also showed that the international framework used to measure barriers works reliably in Hungary only for three factors: gaps in skills, responsibility and opportunities. Three other factors (lack of time, physical limitations and stress linked to volunteering) can be only partly adapted. Social barriers and the perceived lack of benefit from volunteering could not be measured in a valid way, which does not mean these obstacles are absent. Instead, it suggests that different tools or approaches may be needed to explore them in a Hungarian context. 

‘It is worth rethinking the measurement approach and supplementing it with in-depth interviews. Factors such as negative past experiences, burnout linked to volunteering, lack of motivation or the communication practices of volunteer organisations might capture Hungarian-specific challenges more precisely,’ says Bettina Bifkovics, the first author of the study. 

The key to improvement: stronger communication, flexibility and encouragement 

Based on the identified barriers, the study suggests that strengthening volunteering in Hungary starts with making opportunities more visible. Regular, targeted and personalised communication can help people find tasks that genuinely match their interests. It is also important to create flexible forms of volunteering that allow occasional involvement and fit better around academic or work commitments. 

Participation can be further encouraged by lowering entry barriers: providing clear task descriptions, fostering a supportive organisational culture and offering help for volunteers to develop the skills they need.