According to Eurostat data, in 2023, the highest average monthly average salary (gross) for a full-time job is recorded in Luxembourg – 6,755 euros. The lowest is in Bulgaria: 1,125 euros. The EU average was €3,155.
Average salaries vary widely across Europe, as does the cost of living. Euronews has compared salaries by taking purchasing power into account.
How were these figures determined? Eurostat’s calculation is based on the average annual gross salary for a full-time worker. Euronews converted these figures into monthly wages by dividing by 12.
Apart from Luxembourg, only Denmark has a salary above €5,000 (5,634). Ireland (€4,890) and Belgium (€4,832) are close to this mark. The highest salaries are recorded in Austria (4 542), Germany (4 250) and Finland (4 033 euros).
At the same time, about 10 out of 26 EU countries showed average salaries below €2,000. In four countries – Romania, Greece, Hungary and Bulgaria – it was below €1,500. Poland was just above this level (€1,505).
Latvia is also in this top ten – 1,858 euros. Estonia and Lithuania are slightly ahead –2075 and 2265 respectively.
Among the largest EU economies, Germany leads the way (€4,250), followed by France (€3,555). Italy (2,729) and Spain (2,716) lag behind the average.
The EU average was €3,155
The Eurostat data covers 26 EU countries. But there is also data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which includes 35 countries, on average annual wages per full-time worker. Although these data are not directly comparable due to methodological differences, they include a larger number of European countries.
Leading the way on this issue is.Switzerland, where the average salary is 8104 euros.. In Norway and the UK, the average salaries were €5,027 and €4,220 respectively.
Among EU countries, the Netherlands has the highest figures at €4,629. The lowest average salary in Europe is in Turkey: €873, the only country with a figure below €1,000.
When converted to purchasing power standards (PPS), which remove price differences, the gap between countries narrows: from €1,710 in Greece to €4,479 in Luxembourg. The EU average remains the same at €3,155.
The top 5 countries in terms of PPS wages also include Belgium (€4,038), Denmark (€3,904), Germany (€3,898) and Austria (€3,851). The lowest values are in Greece, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Turkey and Romania look much better in terms of purchasing power, at €2,413 and €2,932 respectively.
