General information

Minimum wage in Europe in 2025

In over 15 European countries, minimum wage increases have been approved for the new year. What are the minimum wage rates in Europe from 2025?

Each EU member state sets its own minimum wage, which varies from country to country. For example, in countries with a higher standard of living, such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands, the minimum wage is significantly higher than in countries like Bulgaria or Romania.

Most countries in Europe have decided that the minimum wage increase is an integral part of socio-economic policy, and for the majority of society, it represents an opportunity for better earnings in the new year. Five European countries do not have a statutory minimum wage: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden. However, they still have mechanisms that protect workers from low wages, including collective bargaining, a well-developed social security system, and other forms of support for people in difficult situations in the labor market.

Minimum wage rates in Europe – 2025

In Europe, we can distinguish 4 groups based on the level of minimum wage rates. Group 1 includes countries where the monthly wage is below 800 EUR. Group 2 consists of countries with wages between 800 – 1000 EUR per month, Group 3 includes countries with a minimum wage ranging from 1000 – 2000 EUR per month, and Group 4 consists of countries with wages above 2000 EUR.

As can already be observed, the difference in minimum wage rates is significant, sometimes exceeding 2000 EUR. The highest minimum wage in Europe is nearly five times higher than the lowest (Bulgaria – 550.66 EUR, Luxembourg – 2637.77 EUR).

European Minimum Wage

The European minimum wage is a concept that aims to introduce a minimum wage level in all EU countries. This idea seeks to ensure a minimum standard of living for workers, preventing extreme cases of exploitation and wage disparities between member states. The main goal of this project is to minimize wage disparities across member countries.

Although the EU supports the introduction of fair wages, specific minimum wage levels are still set at the national level.

Below are the minimum wage rates that will apply in individual European countries from 2025:

Group IMinimum Wage
Bulgaria550,66 EUR
Hungary773,90/883,82 EUR
Latvia740 EUR
Group IIMinimum Wage
Romania814,49 EUR
Greece968 EUR
Croatia970 EUR
Czech Republic823,3 EUR
Estonia886 EUR
Malta961,05 EUR
Slovakia816 EUR
Group IIIMinimum Wage
Poland1085,57 EUR
Portugal1015 EUR
Lithuania1038 EUR
Slovenia1253,36 EUR
Spain1323 EUR
France1801,80 EUR
Group IVMinimum Wage
Germany2222 EUR
Belgium2029,88 EUR
Netherlands2437 EUR
Ireland2281,50 EUR
Luxembourg2637,77 EUR

Important! When comparing the above minimum wage rates, it is important to remember that the wage level in a country is influenced by several key factors, including:

  • Unemployment rate
  • GDP
  • Standard of living
  • State of the national economy

It is also important to note that high wages usually translate into equally high taxes. Therefore, everything has its pros and cons.

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