In 2025, Ukrainians were assigned the lowest minimum wage in Europe

In 2025, Ukrainians were assigned the lowest minimum wage in Europe

In Ukraine, the minimum wage in 2025 will remain at the level of 8,000 UAH. This is the lowest indicator in Europe in terms of both nominal amount and the ratio of average to minimum wages.

In Ukraine, the minimum wage in 2025 will be lower than the actual living wage and will constitute only 32.8% of the average wage. This is a critically low indicator. According to Eurostat data, in the EU, the minimum wage at the end of last year ranged from 477 euros in Bulgaria to 2,571 euros in Luxembourg. This is despite the fact that as of January 2025, many countries increased their social standards.

In Ukraine, taking into account the current euro exchange rate, the minimum wage is only 182.2 euros. This is the lowest figure among all European countries. For example, in neighboring Moldova, the minimum wage is equivalent to 212.84 euros. In the EU, in many countries, the minimum wage exceeds 1,500 euros. Among such countries are Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. Their national minimum wages ranged from 1,767 euros in France to 2,571 euros in Luxembourg.

The minimum wage is below 1,000 euros in countries like Cyprus, Poland, Greece, Portugal, Malta, Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Latvia, Hungary, and Bulgaria. Their national minimum wages ranged from 477 euros in Bulgaria to 1,000 euros in Cyprus. Among the countries that are candidates for EU membership, Ukraine has the lowest minimum wage.

The size of the minimum wage can be assessed not only by the nominal figure. It is also worth considering the ratio of the average wage to the minimum. A level of 60% is considered high. If in Ukraine, the minimum wage this year will be 32.8% of the average wage, then in the EU, the lowest minimum wage (in Estonia) is 42%. The highest is in France (66%).

In Ukraine, 1.9 million employees (about 20%) receive the minimum wage. This is due to the fact that employers often pay part of the salary under the table, and personal income tax, social security contributions, and military tax are paid only from the minimum wage. In the EU, the worst situation regarding the number of employees on minimum wage is in Slovenia – 15.2%, Bulgaria – 14.1%, Romania – 13.3%, Poland – 12.1%, and France – 11.6%. The best situation is in Spain (0.8%), Belgium (0.9%), and Malta (1.8%).