The European statistical office Eurostat has published the latest report on national minimum wages, providing the first detailed insight into workers' income levels across the European Union at the beginning of this year.

According to official data published at the end of January, out of a total of 27 member states, 22 apply a national minimum wage, while Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden continue to regulate those amounts exclusively through collective agreements or sectoral arrangements.

This year's data show that the economic picture of the continent is slowly changing, with the gap between the richest and poorest member states gradually narrowing, although the differences in the amounts themselves in euros are still very noticeable on paper.

Detailed overview of income by groups of countries

Official Eurostat data divide European countries into three very clearly defined categories according to their gross amounts.

The first group includes 8 countries with a minimum wage below 1,000 euros gross per month. At the very bottom of the ranking is Bulgaria with 620 euros, followed by Latvia with 780 euros, Romania with 795 euros, and Hungary with 838 euros. Slightly higher income in this category is recorded by Estonia with 886 euros, Slovakia with 915 euros, and the Czech Republic with 924 euros. Malta, with an amount of 994 euros, rounds off this group and stands right on the threshold of moving into a higher pay bracket.

The second group consists of countries where minimum income ranges from 1,000 to 1,500 euros per month, representing the middle standard of the European Union. This group includes Greece with 1,027 euros, Croatia with 1,050 euros, and Portugal with 1,073 euros. The list continues with Cyprus with 1,088 euros, Poland with 1,139 euros, and Lithuania with 1,153 euros.

Slovenia and Spain also fall into this group, although their data in the official Eurostat report are subject to corrections due to more recent decisions by their governments.

Slovenia deserves special attention in this middle group because the official report uses the older figure of 1,278 euros that was valid in the previous year. According to the latest decision of the Slovenian government published at the end of January 2026, the minimum wage for work from January 1 actually amounts to 1,481.88 euros gross. Although Eurostat notes the older figure in its remarks, the reality for Slovenian workers is significantly more favorable and places them at the very top of this category, almost within reach of the group of the most developed countries. Based on the new figure, Slovenia ranks seventh in terms of the highest minimum wages among the 22 countries to which a national minimum wage applies.

A similar situation is also noticeable in Spain, where Eurostat states an amount of 1,381 euros. That figure is based on the 2025 calculation, but at the end of January the Spanish government agreed on a new increase that retroactively raises minimum income to 1,424.50 euros per month when recalculated into twelve payments. Such discrepancies show that national policies in January were faster than the statistical processing of data, so workers in these countries are already receiving more than the primary European table suggests.

At the very top of the European ranking are countries with income above 1,500 euros gross per month, led by Luxembourg with a record 2,704 euros. In this elite group it is followed by Ireland with 2,391 euros, Germany with 2,343 euros, and the Netherlands with 2,295 euros. This highest category is rounded off by Belgium with 2,112 euros and France with 1,823 euros, confirming the stability of standards in the western and northern parts of the Union.

Explanation of methodology and purchasing power

In order for wages in Europe to be compared fairly, experts use special calculation methods that may seem complicated to the average reader, but are actually very logical. For example, in countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal, wages are traditionally paid 14 times a year. Eurostat adds up those annual amounts and divides them again by twelve months in order to obtain a standardized monthly figure that we can compare with other countries. In Germany, on the other hand, the minimum wage is determined per hour of work, and the current hourly rate of 13.90 euros is converted into a monthly gross amount according to the average number of working hours.

The most important concept for understanding the actual standard of living is the Purchasing Power Standard. This is a measure that takes into account the difference in prices between countries. Namely, although the German wage in euros is significantly higher than the Bulgarian or Romanian one, the difference in actual well-being is smaller because food, housing, and basic services are significantly cheaper in more eastern countries. When that criterion is applied, the difference between the highest and lowest European wage is no longer four and a half times greater, but is reduced to just a little more than twice, which gives a more realistic picture of how much a worker can actually buy for their work.

Economic trends

An analysis of the latest data from the Eurostat report confirms that the European labor market is moving in the direction of greater social protection, but also that national governments are becoming increasingly faster in responding to inflation. The examples of Slovenia and Spain, where actual amounts exceed the first statistical estimates, remind us that for a complete picture it is necessary to monitor local legislative changes that occur almost on a daily basis. Ultimately, the true measure of the success of an economy is not only the number of euros on the payslip, but the ability of that amount to ensure a decent standard of living in the specific conditions of each member state.

Sources of minimum wages: Eurostat, gov.si, rtve.es