Minimum Wages Across Europe: Bulgaria Remains at the Bottom

Bulgaria remains the EU's poorest country, with a minimum wage that feels out of reach compared to central European standards, according to Dariknews.bg. While a minimum wage above 1,500 euros may seem unrealistic for many Bulgarians, in the heart of Europe, these figures are quite common.

Across the EU, minimum wages range from 477 euros per month in Bulgaria to 2,571 euros per month in Luxembourg. The Bulgarian caretaker government has proposed setting the national minimum wage at 1,077 leva for 2025. Eurostat data reveals a wide disparity in minimum wages across Europe.

Of the 27 EU countries, 22 have set a national minimum wage, while Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden do not. EU countries can be divided into three groups based on their gross monthly minimum wages as of July 1, 2024:

• Group 1 includes countries where the minimum wage exceeds 1,500 euros per month. This group consists of Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, with figures ranging from 1,767 euros in France to 2,571 euros in Luxembourg.

• Group 2 features Spain and Slovenia, where minimum wages fall between 1,000 and 1,500 euros per month, specifically 1,254 euros in Slovenia and 1,323 euros in Spain.

• Group 3 covers countries with minimum wages at or below 1,000 euros per month. This group includes Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Malta, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Latvia, and Hungary, with wages ranging from 477 euros in Bulgaria to 1,000 euros in Cyprus.

Among candidate and potential candidate countries for EU membership, minimum wages are similarly low, with Ukraine at 185...