As of January 1, 2026, the established minimum monthly wage in the country will increase from 740 to 780 euros, bb.lv was informed by the Ministry of Welfare.
This is provided for by amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers' regulations, which the government adopted on Wednesday, November 19.
Why would the government raise salaries? The Ministry of Welfare explained that "the increase in the minimum wage demonstrates the government's commitment to gradually improving the standard of living for people and reducing income inequality. This is an important signal for more than one hundred thousand people whose daily lives are tied to the minimum wage."
According to the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), in 2024, an average of 117,895 workers, or 15.3%, received the minimum wage or less. This is 4.1 percentage points lower than three years ago, when 19.4% of workers earned the minimum wage or less.
Employer costs for labor will increase for those employees who currently have a minimum monthly salary at normal working hours (740 euros) or lower. Also for those whose monthly salary at normal working hours is less than the minimum amount set in the amendments (780 euros).
According to the CSB, as of September 2025, 898.1 thousand residents were employed in Latvia.
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