István György Tóth

 

István György Tóth is PhD in Sociology, Director of Tárki Social Research Institute. He has a long experience in managing research projects in Hungarian and in international contexts. He was lead researcher in a number of comparative research projects on social structure and inequalities in Europe, including Growing Inequalities Impacts (GINI), Poverty Reduction in Europe: Social Policy and Innovation (ImPRovE) and Inclusive Growth Research Infrastructure Diffusion (InGRID). In the latter (which continued as InGRID2), he led a research pillar on the development of research infrastructures for poverty and living condition surveys and indicators. Under his supervision in InGRID2, TARKI produced the Integrated Poverty and Living Conditions Indicator system (IPOLIS, https://www.ipolis.tarki.hu/) that is now a major source for analysis of multidimensional poverty in this project. Recently he acted as lead researcher in education-related EU HORIZON projects like PIONEERED (Pioneering policies and practices tackling educational inequalities in Europe) and STRIDE (Strategies for achieving equity and inclusion in education, training and learning in democratic Europe ) and serves as a lead academic inequality expert on the “Make it equal” theme of the Infra4NextGen (Providing Research Infrastructure Services to Support Next Generation EU) project. In 2019-2020 he directed the project on „Attitudes towards adequacy and sustainability of social protection systems in the EU”, commissioned by the DG EMPL of the EC.

He is member of the Advisory Board to the Luxembourg Income Study and he served as member of the Transatlantic Expert Group on the Future of Work by Bruegel, Brussels. He also served in various Hungarian academic committees (currently a member of the Economic Sciences Committee), editorial and advisory boards. He recently published in the Handbook of research on economic and social well-being by Edward Elgar, the Handbook of Income Distribution by Elsevier-North Holland and in large compendiums on inequality by Oxford University Press and Stanford University Press, as well as on middle classes by Edward Elgar. He authors and co-edits the biannual Hungarian Social Reports series. Most recently he coordinated an independent academic contribution to the preparation of the High-Level Conference on the European Pillar of Social Rights – commissioned by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Commission.

Key references (research projects directed and co-directed):

• Independent academic contribution to the preparation of the High-Level Conference on the European Pillar of Social Rights (15-16 April 2024, La Hulpe, Belgium), principal researcher
• INFRA4NEXTGEN (Providing Research Infrastructure Services to Support Next Generation EU) 2024-2028 Horizon program, academic expert, „make it equal” theme
• STRIDE Strategies for achieving equity and inclusion in education, training and learning in democratic Europe) 2024-27 Horizon program, lead researcher, workpackage leader
• Patrimonial tendencies and social closure: how mobility-blocking sticky floors and sticky ceilings operate and change over time? (A medium-term (1980-2020) account of the mechanisms of social closure in Hungary - and elsewhere) (2020-2022, NKFIH Alap (OTKA) K 135934) https://tarki.hu/eng/patrimonial-tendencies-and-social-closure-how-mobility-blocking-sticky-floors-and-sticky-ceilings, principal investigator
• “Study on the Adequacy and Sustainability of Social Protection Systems: Attitudes in the EU” (European Commission, DG EMPL, contract No VC2019/0050, https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=738&langId=en&pubId=8353&furtherPubs=yes, leader of the research team
• EUROSHIP (Closing gaps in social citizenship. New tools to foster social resilience in Europe – 2020-2023 Horizon2020 program, https://euroship-research.eu/   leader of the research team
• UPLIFT (Urban PoLicy Innovation to address inequality with and for Future generaTions – 2020-2023 Horizon2020 program, https://www.uplift-youth.eu/ , leader of the research team
• How to approach the Unreachable? – Pilot analysis of unit non-response and non-contact populations in empirical surveys by re-connecting with special questionnaires and methods – (2017-2020, NKFI Alap (OTKA) K 125162), principal investigator 
• Coping with macro shocks: success and failure of household adjustment during the crisis in Hungary - TÁRKI Household Monitor survey (2015-2016, OTKA, 113248), principal investigator
• PRIVMORT (Privatisation and Mortality in Post-Communism: A Multi-Level Indirect Demographic Analysis). Co-investigator and coordinator of fieldwork in the four countries of the survey.
• Inclusive Growth Research Infrastructure Diffusion - InGRID Leader of poverty and living conditions pillar, member of the Steering Committee
• "Growing Inequalities' Impacts" (GINI) project (member of the management board of the project)
• "Poverty Reduction in Europe: Social policy and innovation" (ImPRovE) project (member of Steering Committee)
• European Social Observatory on Social inclusion and income distribution (a Univ. Of Essex-Applica-Eurocentre (Vienna)-Tarki project for DG Empl of the EU)
• Study on child poverty, for DG EMPL of the EU
• The social impact of development policies (2005)
• Modelling social developments until 2020 in Hungary (2004)
• Tárki Household Monitor (1998-, yearly)
• The State and Its Citizens. 1996, 1997, 2007 (with László Csontos and János Kornai, 1996, 1999)
• Social Policy Strategy Paper for the Hungarian Government (1997)
• Hungarian Household Panel (1991-1997)

 

Selected publications

Tóth, I. Gy., A. Gábos, B. Cantillon and B. Nolan 2024. Interactions between the social and employment objectives of the European Union by Background paper providing expertise to the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (January - June 2024) 12 February 2024. PDF

Gábos, A., B. Binder, R. Branyiczki and I. Gy. Tóth 2024. Unravelling the relationship between employment, social transfers and income poverty: Policy and measurement Journal of European Social Policy 2024, Vol. 0(0) 1–20   DOI: 10.1177/09589287241232272

Medgyesi, M., Tóth, I. Gy. 2022. Inequality and welfare. In: Mátyás, L. (ed) Emerging European Economies After The Pandemic. Stuck in the Middle Income Trap? Springer. Chapter 12. pp 575-610. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-93963-2

Kolosi, T.,  I. Szelényi and I. Gy. Tóth (eds) 2022. Társadalmi riport 2022. Budapest: Tárki  https://tarki.hu/tarsadalmi-riport

Gábos, A., Tomka, Zs., Tóth, I. Gy. (2021) Diversity and change in citizenship: mapping poverty in Europe.
EUROSHIP Working Paper No. 2. Oslo: Oslo Metropolitan University.

Medgyesi, M., Tóth, I. Gy. (2021) Income, Wealth, Employment, and Beyond: Central and Eastern Europe In: Fischer, G., Strauss, R. (eds): Europe's Income, Wealth, Consumption, and Inequality, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Kolosi Tamás, Szelényi Iván, Tóth István György (szerk.): Társadalmi riport 2020, Budapest, TÁRKI

Medgyesi, M., Tóth, I. Gy.: (2020) Kelet-Közép-Európa legújabb felzárkózási kísérlete: harminc évvel a rendszerváltások után [The most recent catch-up experiment in Central and Eastern Europe: thirty years after the systemic changes] In: Kolosi Tamás, Szelényi Iván and Tóth, István György (eds)  Társadalmi Riport Bp, Hungary: TÁRKI (2020) 597 p. pp. 15-38.

Szeitl, B., Tóth, I., Gy. (2020) Hova tovább a nemválaszolókkal? [What’s next with non-responders? Results of a methodological experiment based on European Social Survey] In: Szociólógiai szemle 30 : 3 pp. 96-114. , 19 p. (2020)

Tóth István György, Hudácskó, Szilvia (2020) A koronavírus-járvány társadalmi hatásai a közvélemény- kutatások tükrében In: Kolosi, T., Tóth I. Gy.  (eds.): Társadalmi riport 2020, Budapest: Tárki, pp 553-572

Tóth I., Gy., Fondeville, N., Herke, B., Matsaganis, M., Medgyesi, M., Meuleman, B., Özdemir, E., Roosma, F., Ward, T.(2020): Attitudes towards adequacy and sustainability of social protection systems in the EU.  Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2020

Kolosi Tamás – Szelényi Iván - Tóth István György (eds.): Társadalmi riport 2020, Budapest, TÁRKI
Medgyesi Márton – Tóth István György: (2020) Kelet-Közép-Európa legújabb felzárkózási kísérlete: harminc évvel a rendszerváltások után In: Kolosi, T., Szelényi I., Tóth I. Gy.  (eds.): Társadalmi riport 2020, Budapest: Tárki, pp 15-38.

Kolosi Tamás – Tóth István György (eds.): Társadalmi riport 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 Budapest, TÁRKI
Tóth, István György (ed.) Hungarian Social Report 2019, Budapest: Tárki

Tóth István György, Szelényi Iván: The upper middle class: a new aristocracy?, In: Tóth, István György (ed.) Hungarian Social Report 2019, Budapest: Tárki. pp. 101-119.

Cantillon Bea, Gábos András, Goedemé Tim, Tóth István Gyögy: Social Exclusion: empirical findings, In: 'Conchita, D’Ambrosio' (eds.) Handbook of research on economic and social wellbeing, Edward Elgar Publishing (2018) pp. 206-230., 2018

Gábos András, Branyiczki Réka, Binder Barbara, Tóth István György: Employment and poverty dynamics before, during and after the crisis, In: Cantillon, B.; Goedemé, T.; Hills, J. (eds.) Decent incomes for all, Oxford University Press (2018) pp. 34-55.

Gábos, A. - I. Gy. Tóth (2017): Recession, Recovery, and Regime Change: Effects on Child Poverty in Hungary In: B. Cantillon, Y. Chzhen, S. Handa, B. Nolan (eds., 2017). Children of Austerity: Impact of the Great Recession on Child Poverty in Rich Countries. Oxford University Press. pp 118-145.

Tóth, I. Gy. (2016): Is Hungary still in the search of its middle class? in. Daniel Vaughan-Whitehead (ed, 2016): Europe's Disappearing Middle Class? Evidence from the World of Work Edward Elgar pp 279-322.

Michael F. Förster, István György Tóth: Cross-Country Evidence of the Multiple Causes of Inequality Changes in the OECD Area. in: Anthony B. Atkinson and François Bourguignon (eds, 2015) Handbook of Income Distribution, Volume 2B, 2015, Elsevier, North Holland B.v. Chapter 19. Pages 1729-1843.

Tóth, I. Gy. (2014): Revisiting Grand Narratives of Growing Income Inequalities: lessons from 30 country studies in Nolan, B., Salverda, W., D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. Mcknight, I. Gy. Tóth, H. G. van de Werfhorst (eds,, 2014). Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Thirty Countries’ Experiences Oxford: Oxford University Press pp. 11-47

Tóth, I. Gy., D. Horn and M. Medgyesi (2014) Rising Inequalities: Will Electorates Go for Higher Redistribution? in Salverda, W., B. Nolan, D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. Mcknight, I. Gy. Tóth, H. G. van de Werfhorst (eds, 2014). Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Analytical and Comparative Perspectives Oxford University Press Chapter 8, pp. 195-217

Fábián, Z., A. Gábos, M. Kopasz, M. Medgyesi, P. Szivós and I. Gy. Tóth (2014) Hungary: A country caught in its own trap in. Nolan, B., Salverda, W., D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. Mcknight, I. Gy. Tóth, H. G. van de Werfhorst (eds, 2014). Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Thirty Countries’ Experiences Oxford: Oxford University Press chapter 14., pp 322-345.

Tóth, I. Gy. – T. Keller: Income Distribution, Inequality Perceptions, and Redistributive Preferences in European Countries. in Gornick, J. and M. Jantti (eds)
Income Inequality -- Economic Disparities and the Middle Class in Affluent Countries. Stanford University Press 2013 pp 173 – 203.

Nolan, B., Salverda, W., D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. Mcknight, I. Gy. Tóth, H. G. van de Werfhorst (eds,, 2014). Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Thirty Countries’ Experiences Oxford: Oxford University Press

Salverda, W., B. Nolan, D. Checchi, I. Marx, A. Mcknight, I. Gy. Tóth, H. G. van de Werfhorst (eds, 2014). Changing Inequalities and Societal Impacts in Rich Countries: Analytical and Comparative Perspectives Oxford University Press

Tóth, I. Gy.: Time series and cross country variation of income inequalities in Europe: are inequality structures converging in the past three decades? GINI policy paper No 3. Amsterdam, AIAS, September 2013.

Tóth, I. Gy.: Income distribution, social cohesion and value structure Public Finance Quarterly 2011/3 379-385.

Keller Tamás - Tóth István György: Income distribution, inequality perception and redistributive claims in European societies. GINI Discussion Paper 7. Amsterdam, AIAS, 2011, 66 p.

Tóth István György - Medgyesi Márton: Income distribution and living difficulties in the midst of consolidation programmes and crises in Hungary. In: Fazekas Károly - Molnár György (eds.): The Hungarian Labour Market 2011. Review and analysis. Budapest, Institute of Economics, IE HAS - National Employment Foundation, 2010, pp 170-186.

Ward, Terry - Tóth István György (co-directors): Child poverty and child well-being in the European Union. Report prepared for the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opoprtunities (Unite E.2). Budapest - Brussels, TÁRKI Social Research Institute - Applica, 2010, 207 p.

Keller Tamás - Medgyesi Márton - Tóth István György: Analysing the link between measured and perceived income inequality in European countries. Research note 8/2009. Brussels, European Commission, Manuscript completed in February 2010, 32 p.

Tóth István György (ed.): Tárki European Social Report 2009. Budapest, TÁRKI, 2009, 182 p.

Ward, Terry . Lelkes Orsolya . Sutherland, Holly . Tóth István György (eds.): European inequalities. Social inclusion and income distribution in the European Union. Budapest, Tárki, 2009, 214 p.

Tóth István György: The demand for redistribution. A test on Hungarian data. Sociologický Casopis/Czech Sociological Review, 2008, Vol. 44, No. 6. pp. 1063-1087

Tóth István György: Economic Transition and Income Distribution in Hungary, 1987-2001. In: Fanelli, Jose Maria - Squire, Lyn (eds.): Economic Reform In Developing Countries: Reach, Range, Reason. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, 2008, pp. 3-34.

Jövedelemeloszlás. A gazdasági rendszerváltástól az uniós csatlakozásig. (Income distribution. From the systemic change to the joining of the EU, in Hungarian) Andorka Rudolf Társadalomtudományi Társaság-Századvég Kiadó. Budapest, 2005. 334 p.

(ed.): Social Report series, 1998, 2004, 2004. Budapest, TÁRKI, (co-editors: Tamás Kolosi, György Vukovich)

(ed.): Changing roles. Report on the situation of women and men in Hungary, 2005 Budapest, TÁRKI 2005, 260 p. (co-editors: Ildikó Nagy, Marietta Pongrácz)

(ed.): A jóléti állam politikai gazdaságtana (The political economy of the welfare state, in Hungarian) Budapest, Osiris - Láthatatlan Kollégium, 1999 (co-editor: Iván Csaba)

Tóth István György: Jövedelemegyenlõtlenségek: tényleg növekszenek, vagy csak úgy látjuk? Közgazdasági Szemle, L. évf. (2003) 3. sz. 209–234. p.

Tóth István György: Child poverty and family transfers in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. Journal of European Social Policy, vol. 11 (2001) no. 4. pp. 324-341. (with Michael F. Förster)

Tóth István György: Double or quits: should money found be risked? Review of Sociology, 2000 (special issue) pp. 73-95 (with Zoltán Szántó)

Tóth István György: Tax awareness and the reform of the welfare state. Hungarian Survey Results. Economics of Transition, vol. 6 (1998) no. 2. pp. 287-312. (with László Csontos and János Kornai)

Tóth István György: Poverty alleviation: social assistance and family benefits. In: Bokros, Lajos – Dethier, Jean-Jacques: Public Finance Reform During the Transition. The experience of Hungary. Washington, The World Bank, 1998, pp. 287-316. (with Sándor Sipos)

Tóth István György: Poverty, inequalities and social policies in the Visegrad countries. Economics of Transition, vol. 5 (1997) no. 2. pp. 505-510. (with Michael F. Förster)

Tóth István György: Is Hungary really the least unequal? (A Discussion of Data on Income Inequalities and Poverty in Central and East European Countries). Journal of Russian and East European Finance and Trade, vol. 33 (1997) no. 6. pp. 67-94. (with Rudolf Andorka and Zsuzsa Ferge)

Tóth István György: The role of welfare programmes in alleviating poverty. International Review of Comparative Public Policy, vol. 7 (1997) pp. 125-145.

Evaluating Hungarian Incomes Inequalities. The role of labor markets and social policies. Acta Oeconomica, vol. 48. (1997) no. 3-4. pp. 415-445.

The Hungarian Household Panel: aims and methods. Innovation, vol 8. (1995) no. 1. pp 106-122.

A jóléti rendszer az átmenet idõszakában (The welfare system in the period of transition, in Hungarian) Közgazdasági Szemle 1994 április pp. 313-340

A társadalmi (elosztási) igazságosság problémája. (The problem of social (distributive)Justice, in Hungarian) Szociológiai Szemle, 1. évf. (1991) 1. sz. 151-172.p.