According to data released by Eurostat, this increase is explained by the fact that Greece decided to increase its guaranteed minimum wage by 59 euros in the spring. And, with this increase, it surpassed Portugal.

At the beginning of this year, the Portuguese minimum wage rose from 820 euros to the current 870 euros, as defined in the agreement to increase incomes signed in the Social Concertation by the Government, business confederations, and the UGT (Workers' Union).

With this increase, Portugal managed to rank 11th in the European rankings during the first months of 2025. However, in the meantime, Greece decided to increase its guaranteed minimum wage (it had not done so at the beginning of the year).

A similar situation had already occurred last year. In 2024, Greece did not increase its minimum wage at the beginning of the year, which meant that Portugal ranked 11th. However, it increased its minimum wage in April, pushing Portugal to 12th place.

Now, in January of this year, Portugal regained 11th place, but has now fallen one position in the rankings, according to Eurostat data.

The group with minimum wages between 1,000 and 1,500, in purchasing power parity, comprises Slovenia, Romania, Croatia, Lithuania, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Malta, and Hungary.

In the last group, Slovakia, Czechia, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Estonia appear, with the latter country coming out worst in the European picture. According to ECO's calculations, Portugal and Greece are now separated by 12 euros. That is, the Greek minimum wage currently stands at 1,027 euros (over 12 months, equivalent to approximately 880 euros over 14 months), while the Portuguese minimum wage is 1,015 euros (over 12 months, equivalent to approximately 870 euros over 14 months).

Furthermore, Eurostat indicates that, currently, minimum wages in the European Union range from 551 euros (over 12 months) in Bulgaria to 2,704 euros (over 12 months) in Luxembourg.

On the other hand, five Member States do not have a guaranteed minimum wage: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland, and Sweden.