Minimum wages continue to vary widely across Europe, with large gaps between western and eastern countries, according to the latest data available as of January 2026.
An estimated 12.8 million workers across 22 European Union countries earn a minimum wage or less, based on figures compiled from Eurostat data. However, around one-third of minimum wage earners saw no increase compared to July 2025, and in four countries wages have not risen at all over the past year.
Among EU member states, monthly gross minimum wages range from €620 in Bulgaria to €2,704 in Luxembourg. When EU candidate countries are included, Ukraine records the lowest minimum wage at €173, followed by Moldova at €319.
Five countries have minimum wages above €2,000 per month. These are Luxembourg (€2,704), Ireland (€2,391), Germany (€2,343), the Netherlands (€2,295), and Belgium (€2,112).
France follows with a minimum wage of €1,823, while Spain’s stands at €1,381, highlighting significant differences even between neighbouring countries.
Eurostat groups minimum wages into three broad categories: above €1,500, between €1,000 and €1,500, and below €1,000.
Spain, Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece fall into the middle category, where differences are relatively modest.
Below €1,000 in many countries
Out of 29 European countries analysed, including 22 EU members and seven candidate countries, the minimum wage is below €1,000 in 15 countries. All EU candidate countries fall into this lowest group, along with several eastern EU states.
Minimum wages stand at €924 in Czechia, €838 in Hungary, €795 in Romania, €654 in Turkey, and €517 in Albania. Notably, three candidate countries report higher minimum wages than Bulgaria.
Purchasing power changes the picture
When adjusted for purchasing power standards (PPS), which account for differences in living costs, wage disparities narrow significantly.
In PPS terms, minimum wages across the 22 EU countries range from 886 in Estonia to 2,157 in Germany. While rankings shift, the top nine countries remain the same in both nominal euro and PPS comparisons.
Several candidate countries improve their relative positions when purchasing power is considered. Romania moves from 20th place in euro terms to 12th in PPS, while North Macedonia rises from 26th to 20th. Serbia and Turkey also improve their rankings.
By contrast, Czechia and Estonia see the largest drops, each falling eight places when adjusted for purchasing power.
Countries without a statutory minimum wage
There is no legally mandated national minimum wage in Italy, Austria, or the Nordic countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.
Where wages did not increase
Between July 2025 and January 2026, minimum wages remained unchanged in Belgium, Estonia, Greece, Spain, Luxembourg, and Slovenia.
The largest increases over the period were recorded in Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia, each rising by more than 11%.
Between January 2025 and January 2026, wages also remained unchanged in Estonia, Spain, and Slovenia. In Romania, the minimum wage stayed flat in local currency terms but declined slightly when converted into euros.
