Cyprus’ minimum wage stands at €1,088 per month, placing it firmly within the mid-range earners of the European Union, as reported by Eurostat. This figure highlights how Cyprus compares against other member states, with 22 out of 27 EU countries having established a national minimum wage.
- It is essential to note that the data presented reflects gross remuneration before deductions and may be subject to revisions as more information becomes available across various sectors.
While Cyprus is grouped with several nations that have minimum wages ranging from €1,000 to €1,500, it shares this bracket with Greece (€1,027), Croatia (€1,050), Portugal (€1,073), Poland (€1,139), Lithuania (€1,153), Slovenia (€1,278), and Spain (€1,381).
In contrast, eight EU countries maintain minimum wages below the €1,000 mark. Bulgaria leads this group at €620, followed by Latvia (€780), Romania (€795), Hungary (€838), Estonia (€886), Slovakia (€915), the Czech Republic (€924), and Malta (€994).
At the other end of the spectrum, six countries report minimum wages exceeding €1,500, with France at €1,823, Belgium at €2,112, the Netherlands at €2,295, Germany at €2,343, Ireland at €2,391, and Luxembourg topping the list at €2,704.
Eurostat’s data reveals that the highest minimum wage in the EU is 4.4 times greater than the lowest when viewed in nominal terms. However, when adjusted for price level differences, the disparities in wages become less pronounced. In terms of purchasing power standard (PPS), minimum wages vary from PPS 886 in Estonia to PPS 2,157 in Germany, narrowing the gap to a factor of 2.4.
Cyprus, when measured in purchasing power standard, is classified alongside countries with minimum wages between PPS 1,000 and PPS 1,500. This group includes Slovenia, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic. Notably, countries with minimum wages above PPS 1,500 include Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, France, Poland, and Spain. Conversely, Latvia and Estonia fall below the PPS 1,000 threshold.
The report also notes significant shifts expected for 2026, where three countries—Slovakia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic—will move to a higher wage group as their minimum wages increase above PPS 1,000.
Adding further context, the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat) has announced a 4.3 per cent rise in average gross monthly earnings in the third quarter of 2025, bringing the figure to €2,452. Male employees report an average of €2,622, while female earnings have grown at a slightly higher rate of 4.9 per cent, reaching €2,238.
Despite these improvements, income disparities continue to be a concern. Approximately 36.5 per cent of workers earn less than €1,500 a month, with a notable demographic divide: 49.1 per cent of non-Cypriots fall below this earnings threshold, compared to 30.2 per cent of Cypriots. Interestingly, 7.6 per cent of non-Cypriots earn over €6,000, which is nearly double the percentage of high earners among Cypriots.
It is essential to note that the data presented reflects gross remuneration before deductions and may be subject to revisions as more information becomes available across various sectors.
