In a portrait of the labour market in Portugal, to mark May 1st (Workers' Day), Pordata indicates that both the national minimum wage and the average Portuguese salary are among the 10 lowest in the European Union (EU).

The data reveals that Portugal is the 5th country with the lowest average salary when considering the cost of living, just above Slovakia, Greece, Hungary, and Bulgaria.

On the other hand, in Spain salaries are, on average, a third higher than in Portugal.

Pordata also reveals that the average annual salary per worker (without purchasing power parity) in Portugal was the 10th lowest of the EU countries, in 2022, with salaries in the 10 countries that register the highest being, at least twice as high as those of the 10 countries at the bottom of the list (which includes Portugal).

The Portuguese minimum wage, when considered in purchasing power parity, is also among the 10 lowest of the 22 countries in the European Union with a minimum wage.

“In 20 years, Portugal was surpassed by Poland, Lithuania, and Romania in terms of the national minimum wage (SMN)”, adding that the national minimum wage is 26% lower than in Spain and 47% lower than in France.

The data reveals that the average monthly salary of employees in Portugal (including overtime, holiday, and Christmas bonuses or bonuses) was 1,368 euros in 2022.

“The national minimum wage is increasingly closer to the average salary. In 2002, the minimum wage corresponded to 43% of the average earnings, and in 2022 this percentage had already risen to 52%”, he points out.

Pordata also indicates that the average salary in Portugal for workers in the accommodation and catering sector (873 euros) and agriculture and fisheries (916 euros) are among the lowest.

On the other hand, the sector of financial and insurance activities (1,705 euros), electricity, gas, and water (2,243 euros), and international organisations and other extraterritorial institutions (3,156 euros) are those in which the average salary is highest.