EU Minimum Wage Rankings: Poland Takes 9th Place

As of January 2025, the minimum wage across European Union countries ranged from €551 in Bulgaria to €2,638 in Luxembourg. In Poland, the minimum wage has been set at 4,666 PLN since the start of the year, which is equivalent to approximately €1,091.

In most EU member states, governments set the minimum wage level, though there are several countries where it is not officially established. These include Austria, Denmark, Italy, Finland and Sweden.

According to data from Eurostat, the highest minimum wages in January 2025 were recorded in Luxembourg (€2,638), Ireland (€2,282) and the Netherlands (€2,193). The lowest wages were paid to workers in Bulgaria (€551), Hungary (€707) and Latvia (€740).

Eurostat divided EU member states into three categories based on minimum wage levels, using thresholds of €1,000 and €1,500. Poland, with a figure of €1,091, fell into the second group alongside Lithuania, Portugal and Spain, ranking 9th among EU countries.

The full minimum wage ranking for 2025 across EU countries is as follows:

1. Luxembourg €2,637 (in 2015 – €1,922)
2. Ireland €2,281 (in 2015 – €1,461)
3. Netherlands €2,193 (in 2015 – €1,507)
4. Germany €2,161 (in 2015 – €1,444)
5. Belgium €2,070 (in 2015 – €1,501)
6. France €1,801 (in 2015 – €1,457)
7. Spain €1,323 (in 2015 – €756)
8. Slovenia €1,253 (in 2015 – €790)
9. Poland €1,091 (in 2015 – €417)
10. Lithuania €1,038 (in 2015 – €325)
11. Portugal €1,015 (in 2015 – €589)
12. Cyprus €1,000
13. Croatia €970 (in 2015 – €398)
14. Greece €968 (in 2015 – €683)
15. Malta €961 (in 2015 – €720)
16. Estonia €886 (in 2015 – €390)
17. Czech Republic €825 (in 2015 – €337)
18. Slovakia €816 (in 2015 – €380)
19. Romania €814 (in 2015 – €234)
20. Latvia €740 (in 2015 – €360)
21. Hungary €706 (in 2015 – €333)
22. Bulgaria €550 (in 2015 – €194)

In addition, the study took into account the purchasing power standard (PPS) of the minimum wage, which helps assess the real income level adjusted for the cost of living.

In this ranking, Poland came 7th, placing it among the countries with the highest purchasing power. The best results under this criterion were achieved by Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, with Belgium, Ireland and France also ranking ahead of Poland. After Poland in the purchasing power ranking (from highest to lowest) come Spain, Slovenia, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia.

Despite a relatively lower nominal wage level, Poland's minimum wage provides higher purchasing power compared to countries where the cost of living is significantly higher.

Based on Euronews materials

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