site.btaEurostat: July Minimum Wage Lowest in Bulgaria, Highest in Luxembourg

On July 1, minimum wages in the EU Member States ranged from EUR 363 per month in Bulgaria to EUR 2,313 per month in Luxembourg, meaning that the highest minimum wage was 6.4 times as high as the lowest one, according to Eurostat data published here on Friday. When expressed in purchasing power standard, the highest minimum wage was almost 3 times as high as the lowest one.

The minimum wage is enforced by law, often after the government consults with social partners, or directly by a national intersectoral agreement.

In Bulgaria, the minimum wage was increased to BGN 710 as of April 1, 2022, following an agreement with the social partners at an extraordinary meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation in March. At the start of the year, the minimum wage was set at BGN 650 (EUR 332), according to National Statistical Institute data. 

The average annual growth rate between January 2012 and January 2022 was highest in Romania (+12.6 %) followed by Lithuania (+12.1 %) and Bulgaria (+9.4 %). The lowest average annual growth rates were recorded in France and Malta (both +1.4 %) followed by the Netherlands (+ 1.9 %).