Cyprus minimum wage remains below EU high earners

Cyprus’ national minimum wage has reached €1,088 per month, placing the country among mid-range earners in the European Union, according to Eurostat.

The figures showed that 22 out of 27 EU countries had a national minimum wage, with Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden remaining outside the system.

Cyprus was grouped with seven other countries where minimum wages ranged from €1,000 to €1,500 per month, alongside Greece at €1,027, Croatia at €1,050, Portugal at €1,073, Poland at €1,139, Lithuania at €1,153, Slovenia at €1,278 and Spain at €1,381.

At the lower end of the scale, eight EU countries recorded minimum wages below €1,000 per month, including Bulgaria at €620, Latvia at €780, Romania at €795, Hungary at €838, Estonia at €886, Slovakia at €915, the Czech Republic at €924 and Malta at €994.

At the top of the range, six EU countries reported minimum wages above €1,500 per month, led by France at €1,823, Belgium at €2,112, the Netherlands at €2,295, Germany at €2,343, Ireland at €2,391 and Luxembourg at €2,704.

Moreover, Eurostat data showed that the highest minimum wage in the EU was 4.4 times higher than the lowest when measured in nominal terms.

However, the data also showed that wage disparities narrow significantly once price level differences are taken into account.

When expressed in purchasing power standard, minimum wages in EU countries with lower price levels appeared higher relative to those with higher price levels.

After adjusting for price differences, minimum wages ranged from PPS 886 per month in Estonia to PPS 2,157 in Germany, meaning the highest minimum wage was 2.4 times the lowest.

In purchasing power standard terms, Cyprus was classified in the middle group, with minimum wages ranging between PPS 1,000 and PPS 1,500 per month.

This group also included Slovenia, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.

Countries with minimum wages above PPS 1,500 per month included Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Poland and Spain.

At the lowest end, Latvia and Estonia recorded minimum wages below PPS 1,000 per month.

Compared with January 2025, three countries changed groups in 2026, as minimum wages in Slovakia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic rose above PPS 1,000 per month.

Meanwhile, the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) recently reported that average gross monthly earnings in Cyprus rose 4.3 per cent year-on-year to €2,452 in the third quarter of 2025.

While male employees averaged €2,622, female earnings grew faster at 4.9 per cent to reach €2,238.

In addition, significant income disparities persist, with 36.5 per cent of workers earning under €1,500.

Demographic differences are also notable. The statistical service reported that 49.1 per cent of non-Cypriots earn below €1,500 compared to 30.2 per cent of Cypriots.

Conversely, 7.6 per cent of non-Cypriots earn over €6,000, nearly double the share of Cypriot high earners.

It should be noted that data remains provisional, reflecting gross remuneration before deductions across most sectors.