"In January-December 2021, the surplus on the balance of external trade in goods amounted to 2.391 billion euros, 3.227 billion euros less than a year earlier," KSH said.
Exports rose 13.7 percent to 119.4 billion euros and imports rose 17.7 percent to 116.9 billion euros, it said.
The surplus on external trade in goods amounted to 187 million euros in December.
The value of exports was 20 percent and that of imports 21 percent larger in euro terms than in the same period of the previous year.
Compared to the previous month, the level of goods exports declined by 9.6 percent and that of goods imports by 12 percent.
"Hungary's foreign trade balance has deteriorated sharply, it is the lowest figure in 13 years, due to the external imbalances deteriorating spectacularly in the second half of the year," the local economic news portal Portfolio commented.
Portfolio attributed the change to the recovery of the economy which led to an increased demand for imports, the rise of energy price, the stagnant supply chains, the shrinking export potential, and a big increase in public spending. (1 euro = 1.14 U.S. dollar)
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