North Macedonia's Minimum Wage Has Higher Purchasing Power Than Seven EU Member States, Eurostat Data Shows
According to the latest Eurostat data for July 2026, measured in purchasing power standards, North Macedonia's minimum wage stands at 1,142 PPS — higher than seven EU member states and every country in the Western Balkans.
The latest Eurostat data on minimum wages across Europe, published for July 2026, shows that North Macedonia's minimum wage, measured in purchasing power standards (PPS), reaches 1,142 PPS. With that figure, the country ranks ahead of seven European Union member states — Malta, Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Latvia, Hungary and Bulgaria. The data was shared by National Bank Governor Trajko Slaveski on his X (formerly Twitter) profile, alongside tables from the official statistics.
Nominal Value vs Real Value
While North Macedonia's nominal minimum wage — 624 euros per month — is lower than in most of the EU, differences in the cost of living significantly change the picture. Under Eurostat's official methodology, purchasing power standards (PPS) adjust for price differences between countries, allowing a genuine comparison of how much a given wage can actually buy.
Among EU candidate countries, Bulgaria retains the lowest gross minimum wage in the Union at 620 euros — but four candidate countries already exceed it in nominal terms: Turkey at 621 euros, North Macedonia at 624 euros, Montenegro at 670 euros, and Serbia at 743 euros.
Regional Standing
Regionally, North Macedonia ranks ahead of Serbia (1,094 PPS), Montenegro (1,014 PPS) and Albania (705 PPS, last on the list). According to the analysis, North Macedonia also recorded one of the largest jumps in ranking once nominal figures are recalculated for purchasing power — eight places, matching Romania's climb. The country also posted the largest minimum wage growth of any European country in the first seven months of the year.
At the top of Europe's purchasing-power ranking remain Germany (2,164 PPS), Luxembourg (2,108 PPS), the Netherlands (2,023 PPS), Belgium (1,922 PPS) and Ireland (1,756 PPS), while at the bottom sit Estonia (935 PPS) and Latvia (938 PPS) — both EU member states.
MKNews Hub · Economy · 4 August 2026 · Source: Eurostat, via Governor Trajko Slaveski's X profile