Eastern Europe has seen the highest minimum wage increases

Eastern and Southeastern European countries have seen the largest increases in minimum wages from 2015 to 2025. A report highlights how these changes have impacted worker living standards across Europe. As of January 2025, minimum wages in the EU ranged from €551 in Bulgaria to €2,638 in Luxembourg. Including EU candidate countries, the lowest minimum wage is €182 in Ukraine. In 2015, Bulgaria's minimum wage was €184, and Luxembourg's was €1,923. Romania had the highest increase among EU nations, with wages rising 273% from €218 in 2015 to €814 in 2025. Moldova, a candidate country, experienced the largest growth overall, increasing by 438%. Bulgaria’s minimum wage increased by 199%, while France only saw a 24% rise, increasing from €1,458 to €1,802. Although Eastern and Southeastern Europe made significant gains, Western Europe’s wage increases were lower, reflecting their already high salary levels. The average annual growth rate for Romania reached 14.1%, while Moldova led candidate countries at 18.4%. France’s growth was only 2.1%. Disparities in minimum wages are decreasing. The difference between the highest and lowest minimum wage in the EU fell from 10.4 times in 2015 to 4.8 times in 2025. Similarly, minimum wage disparities adjusted for Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) also narrowed, showing a more even wage distribution. While progress has been made, many EU member states have yet to implement the EU Minimum Wage Directive, which aims to ensure fair wages. As of October 2024, only six countries had started to adopt this directive into national law.