At the beginning of 2026, people started to pay more attention to how changing the minimum wage affects the finances of millions of workers in the European Union.
Euronews says that based on Eurostat data, around 13 million workers in 22 EU nations make the minimum wage or less.
Euronews has put out its list of the European countries with the highest minimum wages for 2026. Some of the countries on the list are surprising, especially among EU aspirant states.
Taking into account both nominal and purchasing power parity (PPP) adjustments, here are the 10 European countries with the highest minimum wages in 2026:
1. Luxembourg
Minimum wage: €2,704
Adjusted on purchasing power parity (PPP), it dips to second place at €2,035.
Luxembourg has the highest legal minimum wage in Europe, however its ranking changes when the cost of living is taken into account.
2. Ireland
Minimum wage: €2,391
€1,732 after adjusting for PPP (now in fifth position)
Ireland has the second highest nominal minimum wage, however when living expenditures are taken into account, it lowers a lot.
3. Germany
Minimum wage: €2,343
€2,157 after adjusting for PPP (moves to top place)
When the real value of the wage is taken into account, Germany comes out on top.
4. The Netherlands
Minimum wage: €2,295
Adjusted for PPP: €1,979 (up to third place)
In both nominal and PPP-adjusted terms, the Netherlands is still one among the richest countries.
5. Belgium
Minimum wage: €2,112
Adjusted for PPP: €1,812 (up one place)
Belgium’s position also gets better when you look at buying power.
6. France
The minimum wage is €1,823.
€1,639 after PPP (still sixth)
After taking into account the cost of living, France stays at the same place.
7. Spain
Minimum wage: €1,381
Adjusted for PPP: €1,519 (increases in rank)
Spain is the first country on the list to have a higher value after the PPP adjustment.
8. Slovenia
Minimum wage: €1,278
€1,417 after adjusting for PPP
Slovenia’s adjusted wage shows that people there can buy more than the nominal amount suggests.
9. Lithuania
Minimum wage: €1,153
€1,413 after adjusting for PPP
When you look at the cost of living, Lithuania has one of the biggest increases.
10. Poland
Minimum wage: €1,139
€1,545 after PPP (the biggest jump)
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