Minimum wages range significantly across EU member countries. As of January 2024, Luxembourg has the highest minimum wage set at €2,571 per month. Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France, all have minimum wages above € 1,500 per month.
At the other end, Bulgaria has the lowest minimum wage of €477. Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Malta, Lithuania, Greece, Croatia, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Latvia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria all have below € 1,000 per month as minimum wage.
Note that the monthly minimum wages in Eurostat’s statistics are presented as gross earnings, before deductions of income tax and social security contributions.
For reference, the minimum in the United States (federal level) stood at €1,137 per month (coverted to € using exchange rate on 1 January 2024).
When adjusted for purchasing power, Germany takes the lead with a minimum wage of 1,883 PPS, indicating that when local living costs are considered, German workers have a relatively higher purchasing power from their minimum wage earnings. This PPS adjustment provides a more leveled field for comparing the actual economic impact of wages across countries with diverse economic conditions.
In PPS, the United States stands at 837, and would thus come in at the lower end of the ranking when compared to European Union countries.
Note: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden have no national minimum wage.
Read more:
- Eurostat, Minimum wage statistics