What is the minimum wage in the EU countries in 2025? Overview and comparison

As of January 1, 2025, 22 of the 27 EU countries have established a national minimum wage. Find out where the minimum wage is the highest and where it barely exceeds €500, and how Europe regulates these figures

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Since the beginning of 2025, Eurostat has published updated data on the minimum wage in the European Union. This issue remains one of the key ones in the field of social policy, as the minimum wage directly affects the living standards of the least protected segments of the population.

Let's take a look at how the level of minimum wages in the EU is changing, which countries provide the highest and lowest minimum wages, and what these figures mean in terms of purchasing power.

Where is the minimum wage set?

As of January 1, 2025, 22 of the 27 EU member states have a national minimum wage. Five countries remain exceptions: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Finland, where the level of wages is determined by collective bargaining rather than government regulation.

Lowest and highest minimum wages

According to Eurostat:

Up to €1,000 per month: Bulgaria (€551), Hungary (€707), Latvia (€740), Romania (€814), Czech Republic (€826), Estonia (€886), Malta (€961).

From €1,000 to €1,500: Cyprus (€1,000), Portugal (€1,015), Poland (€1,091), Slovenia (€1,278), Spain (€1,381).

Above €1,500: France (€1,802), Belgium (€2,070), Germany (€2,161), the Netherlands (€2,193), Ireland (€2,282), Luxembourg (€2,638).

The difference in nominal figures is striking - in Luxembourg, the minimum wage is almost five times higher than in Bulgaria.

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The impact of purchasing power

Nominal wages are only part of the picture. It is also important to take into account the price level in each country. When minimum wages are converted to purchasing power standards (PPS), the differences between countries are significantly reduced.

For example:

Lowest PPS: Estonia - 878 PPS.

Highest PPS: Germany - 1,992 PPS.

This means that although nominally lower wages in Estonia, the purchasing power of its employees is not so critically behind more developed countries.

Minimum wage in relation to the median wage

It is also interesting to look at the ratio of the minimum wage to the median wage, i.e. the ratio at which half of the employees earn more and half earn less.

In 2022, this ratio was:

The highest: France, Portugal and Slovenia - 66% each.

The lowest: Belgium (49%), Malta (46%), Estonia and Latvia (43%).

This indicator is an important criterion for assessing the fairness of remuneration.

Regulation and prospects

Since 2022, the EU has been implementing Directive 2022/2041, which requires countries to ensure the adequacy of minimum wages. One of the key indicators is the ratio to the median wage - the recommended level is 50-60%.

The data collection methodology uses gross salaries, i.e., excluding taxes. The recalculation is also made for countries with hourly pay or more than 12 months of accruals per year (Spain, Portugal, etc.).

As a result, the minimum wage in EU countries in 2025 varies significantly in both nominal and real terms. However, thanks to common directives and economic convergence, the gaps are gradually narrowing, which is a positive signal for social cohesion in Europe.

We remind you! A new study shows that our country is inferior to Poland in terms of simplicity of regulatory procedures. We told you how Ukraine compares to other countries in terms of regulatory burden, why starting a business is more difficult but running a business is easier, and what reforms could improve the situation.

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