TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - On January 30, Eurostat updated the minimum wages in Europe for January 2026. As 12.8 million workers across 22 EU countries earn minimum wage or even less, according to EuroNews, this annual announcement is closely tied to whether their standards of living will see some improvements.
Minimum wage hikes in Europe have been uneven; some countries gain some small increases while others are in complete stagnation. This disparity raises an important question about where workers may find favorable conditions in 2026.
List of Minimum Wages in Europe in 2026
Despite being part of the same region, a wide gap in minimum wage will be spotted on the list. According to Eurostat, the gap between the highest and the lowest minimum wage appears to quadruple. To make the comparison clearer, the following list of group countries will be divided into three categories.
Highest Minimum Wages (>€1,500)
A tiny percentage of EU nations had minimum wages more than €1,500 per month. Following a 15 year streak, according to the Luxembourg Times, this year marks Luxembourg's 16th consecutive year at the top. Other countries in this group are tightly clustered behind Luxembourg in nominal terms.
Here is the list of nations with a minimum wage above €1,500:
- Luxembourg (€2,704)
- Ireland (€2,391)
- Germany (€2,343)
- Netherlands (€2,295)
- Belgium (€2,112)
- France (€1,823)
Mid-range Minimum Wages (€1,500 - €1,000)
The minimum wages in this cluster are close in numbers, from a little over €1,000 to €1,500 per month. Here is the list of nations with a mid-range minimum wage in European countries:
- Spain (€1.381)
- Slovenia (€1.278)
- Lithuania (€1.153)
- Poland (€1.139)
- Cyprus (€1.088)
- Portugal (€1.073)
Lowest Minimum Wages (€
The minimum salary in certain European countries, like Malta (€994), Czechia (€924), and Slovakia (€915), is less than €1,000 per month. This highlights the significant difference between Western Europe and the lowest-wage countries, as Luxembourg leads the highest tier at €2,704.
Here is the list of nations with a minimum wage below €1,000:
- Malta (€994)
- Czechia (€924)
- Slovakia (€915)
- Estonia (€886)
- Hungary (€838)
- Romania (€795)
While these nominal figures offer a quick comparison, the Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) present a more realistic portrayal of actual living standard. For instance, despite having the third-highest minimum wage, Germany rises to the top of the PPS rankings because of its effective domestic pricing.
Further evidence that domestic affordability can significantly increase the actual worth of a salary comes from rising countries like Romania, which jumped from 20th to 12th position in overall EU rankings when adjusted for PPS.
Muhammad Raymizzaad Noor (Intern) contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Top 10 Most Expensive Cities in Europe, from Luxembourg to London
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