Minimum Wage in Europe (2026): Every EU Country, From €620 to €2,771 a Month
A minimum wage tells you what the floor of a job market looks like before you move. Eurostat publishes the national minimum wages of every EU country twice a year, in euro and adjusted for prices. This guide reproduces the July 2026 figures and groups, says which five countries have no national minimum at all, and shows how far the gap shrinks once you adjust for the cost of living.
Quick answer
On 1 July 2026, 22 of the 27 EU countries had a national minimum wage, ranging from €620 a month in Bulgaria to €2,771 in Luxembourg. Five countries have none: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden, where wages are set in collective agreements; no EFTA country has one either. Six countries pay above €1,500 a month: Luxembourg, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France (from €1,867 in France to €2,771 in Luxembourg). Eight sit between €1,000 and €1,500: Slovenia, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal and Croatia (€1,050 in Croatia to €1,482 in Slovenia). Eight are below €1,000: Malta, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria (€620 to €994 in Malta). Adjusted for price levels, the range is much narrower: from PPS 935 in Estonia to PPS 2,164 in Germany. The highest minimum in euro (Luxembourg) is 4.5 times the lowest; in purchasing power the highest (Germany) is 2.3 times the lowest.
The three groups, July 2026
| Group (gross monthly, in euro) | Countries | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Above €1,500 | Luxembourg, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, France | €1,867 (France) to €2,771 (Luxembourg) |
| €1,000 to €1,500 | Slovenia, Spain, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Croatia | €1,050 (Croatia) to €1,482 (Slovenia) |
| Below €1,000 | Malta, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Latvia, Bulgaria | €620 (Bulgaria) to €994 (Malta) |
| No national minimum wage | Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, Sweden | Set by collective agreement |
Source: Eurostat, Minimum wage statistics (earn_mw_cur), data extracted July 2026; planned update January 2027. For Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Romania the national rate is converted to euro at the exchange rate in force.
Adjusted for prices: PPS
Eurostat also expresses the same wages in Purchasing Power Standards, using purchasing power parities for household consumption with 2025 as the reference year. That adjustment reshuffles the groups:
| Group (PPS) | Countries | Range |
|---|---|---|
| PPS 1,500 or more | Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Slovenia, Spain, Poland | PPS 1,547 (Poland) to PPS 2,164 (Germany) |
| PPS 1,000 to below 1,500 | Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Hungary, Czechia | PPS 1,015 (Czechia) to PPS 1,393 (Lithuania) |
| Below PPS 1,000 | Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia | PPS 935 (Estonia) to PPS 993 (Bulgaria) |
Germany, not Luxembourg, has the highest minimum wage once prices are taken into account, and Poland and Spain join the top group. Estonia, not Bulgaria, has the lowest.
How fast minimum wages are rising
Between July 2016 and July 2026 the average annual growth rate of the minimum wage was highest in Lithuania (+11.7%), followed by Romania (+11.6%), Bulgaria (+11.2%), Poland (+10.4%) and Hungary (+10.0%). The slowest growth among EU countries was in France (+2.4%), Malta (+3.2%), Luxembourg (+3.7%) and Belgium (+3.8%). The east is catching up, which is why the PPS table looks so different from the euro table.
Minimum wage versus the median
A minimum wage that is high relative to what most people earn tells you the floor is close to the middle. Within the EU in 2024, the ratio of the minimum wage to median gross earnings ranged from 44% in Estonia to 69% in Portugal. The ratio was above 60% in eight countries: Portugal, Poland, France, Slovenia, Romania, Greece, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It was between 50% and 60% in twelve, including Germany, Croatia, Ireland and Spain, with Malta and Belgium at 50%. In Latvia (48%) and Estonia (44%) the minimum wage was less than half of median earnings.
How many people earn it
In 2022 the share of employees paid less than 105% of the national minimum wage was above 10% in seven countries with a minimum wage: Bulgaria (13.0%), France (12.7%), Slovenia (12.6%), Romania (10.5%), Greece (10.2%), Poland (10.1%) and Hungary (10.0%). The lowest proportions were in Portugal (3.1%) and Czechia (2.6%).
Reading the numbers correctly
- Figures are gross monthly amounts before tax and social contributions.
- Where the minimum is set hourly, Eurostat converts it: Germany uses the hourly rate × 38.8 hours a week × 4.345; Ireland the hourly rate × 39 hours × 52 weeks ÷ 12 months; France × 35 hours × 52 ÷ 12; the Netherlands × 36 hours × 52 ÷ 12 from January 2024.
- Where the minimum is paid 14 times a year, as in Greece, Spain and Portugal, the figures are adjusted to a 12-month basis.
- Countries without a national minimum (Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, Sweden) are not low-wage countries; their floors sit in sector agreements and are not captured by this series.
What this means for a move
If a job offer is close to the minimum, compare it in PPS, not euro. A €1,050 minimum in Croatia buys more than its euro value suggests next to a €1,867 minimum in France. And treat the collective-agreement countries separately: a Danish or Austrian offer below any "minimum" you have seen quoted online may still be below its sector agreement, which is the figure that matters there.
Frequently asked questions
Which EU country has the highest minimum wage in 2026?
Luxembourg, at €2,771 a month on 1 July 2026. Adjusted for prices, Germany is highest at PPS 2,164.
Which EU country has the lowest minimum wage?
Bulgaria, at €620 a month. In purchasing power terms Estonia is lowest at PPS 935.
Which EU countries have no minimum wage?
Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden. No EFTA country has a national minimum wage either.
How often does Eurostat update minimum wages?
Twice a year. The July 2026 data was extracted in July 2026 and the next article update is planned for January 2027.
Where is Germany's minimum wage in the ranking?
In the top group in euro (above €1,500) and first in purchasing power (PPS 2,164).