The minimum wage in Portugal is in 12th position in the European Union ranking. Eurostat data only analyzed 22 member states
Even with the increase of the national minimum wage to 820 euros in 2024, Portugal ranked 12th among EU countries that apply this type of minimum remuneration, according to data released by Eurostat. The European ranking is led by Luxembourg, where the monthly minimum wage is set at 2,204 euros, considering that the salary is paid over 14 months, just like in Portugal.
Trailing Luxembourg are Ireland, where workers earn 1,840 euros per month, and the Netherlands, with 1,829 euros. Still in the top five are countries like Belgium at 1,774 €, Germany at 1,761 €, and finally France, where the minimum wage is set at 1,550 € per month. All these amounts are well above those seen in Portugal, where the minimum wage is only expected to exceed the threshold of 1,000 euros in 2028, according to the proposal from the current government.
Portugal, which in 2023 saw the minimum wage increase by 60 euros to 820, is still surpassed by several other European nations. Spain and Slovenia, for example, have minimum wages above 1,000 euros per month. Even so, they maintain a significant margin when compared to France. Other countries like Cyprus, Poland, and Greece (since April 1) have minimum wages varying between 857 and 830 euros, also placing ahead of Portugal in the ranking.
Portugal drops even further when taking into account Purchasing Power Parity
When adjusting values according to Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) – a criterion that compares salaries and prices considering the living standards in each country – Portugal’s position drops further. Portugal falls to 15th place, being surpassed by countries such as Croatia and Estonia or Lithuania, which have a higher purchasing power relative to their minimum wages.
Even with this criterion, Luxembourg maintains the lead, followed by Germany which climbs three positions and the Netherlands which ties for third place. These countries continue to stand out for their combination of high wages and relatively greater purchasing power.
The Eurostat report analyzed 22 of the 27 EU member states, as countries like Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden do not apply the concept of minimum wage at a national level. These countries generally rely on collective labor agreements to set minimum pay in different sectors.