About 13 million workers in 21 EU countries earn the minimum wage or less, reports Eurostat. But in which countries is the share of minimum wage earners the highest, and where is it the lowest?
As reported by Euronews, according to Eurostat estimates, in 2022, the share of workers earning less than 105 percent of the minimum wage ranged from 2.6 percent in the Czech Republic to 13 percent in Bulgaria.
Since the concepts of earnings used in the definition of minimum wage and in the wage survey differ, Eurostat sets a threshold of 105 percent of the minimum wage (a 5 percent increase) to approximately assess the share of workers with minimum wage.
Although the data reflects the situation in 2022, it was published only at the end of 2025, as Eurostat publishes such estimates every four years to track long-term trends and provide a clearer picture of what is happening.
The share of workers earning minimum wage or less is 10 percent or higher in seven EU countries. In addition to leading Bulgaria, this list includes France (12.7 percent), Slovenia (12.6 percent), Romania (10.5 percent), Greece (10.2 percent), Poland (10.1 percent), and Hungary (10 percent).
At the other end of the scale, the Czech Republic (2.6 percent), Portugal (3.1 percent), Estonia (3.3 percent), the Netherlands (3.5 percent), Malta (3.5 percent), and Spain (3.6 percent) demonstrate the lowest figures—all below 4 percent.
In Latvia, 5.6% of workers live on the minimum wage. The share of such individuals is lower in only 8 EU countries, including Estonia at 3.3%.
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