Data item
Published: 7 July 2026
Rate of change in gross national minimum wages in real and nominal terms, 22 EU Member States, January 2016 to January 2026 (%)
Data visualisation
Rate of change in gross national minimum wages in real and nominal terms, 22 EU Member States, January 2016 to January 2026 (%)
Data refer to the growth rate between January 2016 and January 2026. Real values have been calculated by deflating nominal rates using monthly data from Eurostat’s Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP). Countries are ranked by the magnitude of increase in real rates.
*2016 data refer to January 2023 in the case of Cyprus, when it introduced its statutory rate, while 2026 data refer to April 2026 in the case of Estonia due to a delayed uprate.
Source: Network of Eurofound Correspondents, Eurostat for HICP data and Eurofound calculations.
Related content
This data item featured in the following outputs.
Article
New
16 July 2026
Over the past year, national minimum wages continued to rise substantially across the EU, especially in central and eastern European countries, continuing the narrowing of regional disparities. The EU Minimum Wage Directive has emerged as a significant driver of minimum wage hikes in many countries, exceeding inflation levels and increasing faster than collectively agreed wage floors in many low-paid sectors.
