Economy

Slovenia minimum wage nears parity with US

Reading Time: 2 minutes

With a EUR 1,074 minimum wage, Slovenia was the only country in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) where a gross monthly salary of over a thousand euros was guaranteed, as of January 2022, according to new data from Eurostat. The federal minimum wage in the United States was EUR 1,110, in January, the EU’s official statistics office notes.

In all, 13 member states – mostly in CEE – had minimum wages below EUR 1,000 per month. These ranged from EUR 332 per month in Bulgaria to EUR 2,257 in Luxembourg. Bulgaria’s minimum monthly salary was followed, in ascending order, by its CEE peers Latvia (EUR 500), Romania (EUR 515), Hungary (EUR 542) and Croatia (EUR 624). The next group of countries were also in CEE, including Slovakia, where the minimum wage is EUR 646, Czechia (EUR 652), Estonia (EUR 654), Poland (EUR 655) and Lithuania (EUR 730). Southern EU member states Greece (EUR 774), Malta (EUR 792) and Portugal (EUR 823) were the remaining sub-EUR 1,000 states. 

Minimum wages are higher in purchasing power standard (PPS) in EU member states with lower price levels, when compared to more expensive countries in the bloc, Eurostat found. 

The only CEE country without a minimum monthly salary is Austria. The other 5 EU member states without a national minimum wage are Denmark, Italy, Cyprus, Finland and Sweden.

CET Editor

Recent Posts

Poland to focus on security, regional cooperation during upcoming EU rotating presidency

Polish government representatives outlined the key priorities for its six-month stint holding the presidency of…

6 days ago

Bulgaria, Romania to join Schengen free travel area

Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen Area on 1…

6 days ago

Slovenia tightens border as EU pledges migration revamp

Slovenia has announced an increase in border controls with Croatia and Hungary, citing national security and escalating concerns over…

6 days ago

Poland leads CEE on media subscriptions – Reuters institute report

Digital news consumption in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is transforming, driven by evolving audience…

6 days ago

FDI paints rosier picture for Poland, Romania – OECD report

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are still navigating post-pandemic economic challenges amid newer geopolitical…

2 weeks ago

Statistics Austria sees prosperity in decline

Austria's economy has contracted for the sixth quarter in a row, and there has been…

2 weeks ago