The minimum wage in Poland is PLN 3600. This is nearly 20 % more than in 2022, and next year it will increase by another 19 %, which means that as of 1 January next year the minimum wage will be PLN 4242. In the rich countries of the European Union, the lowest salaries are higher than in Poland, considering their purchasing power.

Currently, Germany (by 47 %), Luxembourg (also by 47 %), the Netherlands (by 39 %), Belgium (by 36 %) and France (by 27 %) offer higher minimum salaries than ours. Poland is also surpassed by Slovenia (6 % higher minimum wage), Spain (4.5 % higher) and Ireland (4.3 % higher), according to data from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

On the other hand, Poland is outperforming noticeably Bulgaria, Latvia and Estonia. Our minimum salaries are higher by 84 %, 68 %, 63 % respectively. Poland also offers more to its lowest earners than the Czech Republic, Croatia, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia to their citizens. Residents of Malta and Cyprus also receive less. There, the minimum salary is 31 and 21 % lower respectively.

The minimum wage in Poland has increased by 42.9 % since 2019. This is the largest increase compared to other EU countries that have shared data with Eurostat. The Czechs are next on the list (36.8 % increase) and the Croats (36.7 %). The smallest changes were in Ireland (7 %) and Malta (8 %).

This year, the minimum wage in Poland doubled, and this will happen next year as well. The Netherlands is doing the same – from 2019 – and minimum wages have also been doubled this year in Greece, Spain, France and Luxembourg. Such decisions may have been influenced by the worsening economic situation.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński