Eurofound’s annual report on minimum wages, which is the benchmark for this issue, tracks developments in the EU-27 and provides the first comparative overview of how Member States have transposed the Directive.
The study indicate that minimum wages rose significantly in most EU countries in 2025. In most cases, these increases exceeded inflation, resulting in higher purchasing power for those receiving them. The study also shows that minimum wages have continued to rise in many countries over the last two decades, leading to structural improvements in national minimum wage levels relative to average and median wages (except in France). Consequently, the remuneration levels of employees earning the minimum wage have generally improved compared to those of other employees.
Another finding of the study, is that it measures the impact of rising housing costs on people earning the minimum wage. A significantly higher proportion of their income is spent on housing (34.8% compared to 26.2% on average for all employees), and many young employees earning the minimum wage are unable to leave their parents’ home.
