You earn the same gross salary amount, but the net amount depends on where you live and where you work.

Euronews analyzed how much of a gross annual salary of 100,000 euros remains for a worker in each European country, which is equivalent to 8,333 euros when divided over 12 months, and concluded that Eastern European countries pay better net amounts for the same sum, while in Northern and Western Europe contributions to the state are generally somewhat higher.

Different countries have different tax systems that affect the final net amount. The level of net salary is often affected by income level, with those earning higher incomes paying more tax, as well as marital status, number of children, degree of disability, and various other factors.

It should be noted that the analysis by Euronews was conducted exclusively using the example of a single person without children or disabilities who earns 100,000 euros gross annually.

According to the key calculations, the worker earning the stated amount keeps the most in Bulgaria, 86,930 euros, which amounts to about 7,244 euros net per month.

This is followed by Estonia with 74,400 euros (6,200 euros per month), the Czech Republic with 72,800 euros (6,067 euros per month), Malta with 72,500 euros (6,042 euros per month), and Switzerland with 70,500 euros (5,875 euros per month).

Although it is often said that Croatians pay high contributions from their salaries, out of the 31 countries analyzed Croatia is close to the middle, in 18th place. A single person in Croatia keeps 61,000 euros from a gross annual salary of 100,000 euros, which is about 5,083 euros net per month.

Slovenia, in terms of contributions to the state, is near the bottom of the ranking, in 27th out of 31 places. Out of 100,000 euros gross, the worker keeps 55,060 euros, or about 4,588 euros net per month.

Of the countries analyzed, the highest contributions to the state are recorded in Belgium (the worker keeps 50,750 euros, or 4,229 euros per month), Denmark (51,500 euros annually, 4,292 euros per month), Sweden (52,000 euros annually, 4,333 euros per month), and Austria (54,200 euros annually or 4,517 euros per month).

Euronews concludes that countries in Western and Northern Europe bear a greater tax burden. However, it should be kept in mind that the larger amount going into the state treasury may be directed toward public investment, infrastructure development, and the functioning of the system.

Converting gross to net amount is relatively simple in some countries, and considerably more complex in others, depending on a range of elements. Euronews used 2025 tax rates for the calculations, the OECD tax burden report for 2026, data from OECD national databases, PwC tax summaries, and various national sources. For all countries that do not use the euro, the amounts were converted according to the European Central Bank reference exchange rates on 31 December 2025.

Euronews did not present monthly amounts in its analysis; we calculated them, for easier content consumption, by dividing the annual amount into 12 equal parts.