Ukrainians poorest in Europe in terms of minimum wage: even in Moldova they get much more - State Statistics Service

The minimum wage in Ukraine (UAH 8,600) is the lowest among all European countries. At the same time, according to the latest data from the State Statistics Service, the average salary is UAH 30,300. This means that the minimum wage is approximately 28.4% of the average salary.

This is reported in a publication on the OBOZ.UA website.

The government is currently drafting a new Labor Code, which once again fails to address the issue of the low minimum wage. A “sufficient” minimum wage is considered to be about 40% of the average wage. The EU has Directive 2022/2041, which calls on EU countries to set a minimum wage that ensures a decent standard of living and is up to 60% of the average wage (a desirable target to strive for).

Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Daryna Marchak stated that the government aims for the minimum wage to be 50% of the average wage. However, this ratio is not specified in the draft Labor Code.

"The Labor Code lays the foundation for addressing this issue in line with EU logic. It stipulates that the minimum wage must be derived from the national average. Ideally, we aim for the minimum wage to be at least 50% of the average wage. We have not included specific percentages or timelines in the text itself at this time, as this is the subject of complex discussions with the business community and the public sector—namely, how quickly we can financially sustain this. But the formula is already in place. We will refine the text before the second reading, taking into account amendments from lawmakers, as well as the positions of trade unions and business associations,” explained Marchak.

Minimum wage levels in various countries (Eurostat data in euros):

Ukraine – EUR 173

Moldova – EUR 319

Albania – EUR 517

North Macedonia – EUR 586

Bulgaria – EUR 620

Turkey – EUR 654

Montenegro – EUR 670

Serbia – EUR 744

Latvia – EUR 780

Romania – EUR 795

Hungary – EUR 838

Estonia – EUR 886

Slovakia – EUR 915

Czech Republic – EUR 924

Malta – EUR 994

Greece – EUR 1,027

Croatia – EUR 1,050

United States – EUR 1,070

Portugal – EUR 1,073

Cyprus – EUR 1,088

Poland – EUR 1,139

Lithuania – EUR 1,153

Slovenia – EUR 1,278

Spain – EUR 1,381

France – EUR 1,823

Belgium – EUR 2,112

Netherlands – EUR 2,295

Germany – EUR 2,343

Ireland – EUR 2,391

Luxembourg – EUR 2,704

Even if the minimum wage were raised to at least 40% of the average wage, that would already amount to about UAH 12,200. If Ukraine were to make a leap to 60%, following the EU’s recommendations, the minimum wage would already be around UAH 18,200.

However, most EU countries have not yet reached the 60% mark. According to Eurostat data for 2024 (the most recent data), the ratio between the minimum and median wages in EU countries ranged from 44% (in Estonia) to 69% (in Portugal).

The ratio exceeded 60% in eight EU member states: Portugal, Poland, France, Slovenia, Romania, Greece, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.