As of early 2026, the list of countries in Europe with the highest minimum wages (gross) is topped by Luxembourg.
Ranking leaders
– Luxembourg: €2,704;
– Ireland: €2,391 (at €14.15 per hour);
– Germany: €2,343 (as of January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly rate increased to €13.90);
– Netherlands: €2,295 (at an hourly rate of €14.71);
– Belgium: €2,112;
– France: €1,823.
Moldova traditionally ranks penultimate or last among the European countries where the “minimum wage” is set by law. As of January 1, 2026, it increased to 6,300 lei per month (about €320). For comparison: Luxembourg: ~€2,700 (8.5 times higher), Romania: ~€810 (2.5 times higher), Bulgaria: ~€620, Ukraine: ~€174 (lower than in Moldova).
Despite the fact that in 2026 the minimum wage in Moldova increased by 15% (from 5,500 to 6,300 lei), this increase only partially compensates for inflation and does not yet allow the country to rise higher in the European ranking table.
Moldovan trade unions demanded an increase to 8,050 lei to reach at least 50% of the projected national average salary (17,400 lei), but the government approved a more modest version.
Purchasing power parity changes the picture
In terms of purchasing power parity (how many goods can be bought with this money), the gap with the European leaders is slightly smaller, but Moldova still remains in the lowest income zone on the continent.
Although Luxembourg remains the leader in nominal terms (in euros), the situation changes when adjusted for the price level within the country. At the beginning of 2026, the list of European countries by purchasing power parity (PPP or PPS – Purchasing Power Standard) is headed by Germany.
Top 5 countries by purchasing power of the minimum wage (data as of January 2026):
– Germany – 2,157 PPS;
– Luxembourg – about 2,035 PPS (estimate based on recent trends);
– Netherlands – 1,937 PPS;
– Belgium – 1,812 PPS;
– Ireland – 1,653 PPS.
Despite the high nominal wages in Luxembourg, the cost of living (rent, services) there is significantly higher than in Germany. This “eats up” the difference in income, making the German “minimum wage” the leader in terms of the real amount of goods and services that can be purchased with it.
Interestingly, the gap between the highest and the lowest minimum wage in Europe when calculated in euros is 4.4 times, but when calculated in purchasing power parity it is reduced to 2.4 times.
