Bulgaria has ranked third among European Union countries in terms of minimum wage growth over the past decade, with an increase from €184 in 2015 to €551 in 2025, according to Eurostat data. The country is surpassed only by Romania and Lithuania in terms of wage growth during this period, Euronews reported.

The data highlights significant disparities in minimum wages across Europe. As of January 2025, gross monthly minimum wages in the EU range from €551 in Bulgaria to €2,638 in Luxembourg. When EU candidate countries are included, the lowest minimum wage is recorded in Ukraine at €182, followed by Moldova at €285. In comparison, in January 2015, Bulgaria had the lowest minimum wage in the EU at €184, while Luxembourg had the highest at €1,923. Among candidate countries, Moldova had the lowest wage at just €53.

In nominal euro terms, Romania experienced the largest increase in minimum wages among EU member states, growing by 273% from €218 in 2015 to €814 in 2025. When candidate countries are included, Moldova saw the most significant increase, with wages rising by 438%. Bulgaria, where minimum wages have traditionally been among the lowest in the EU, recorded a 199% increase over the ten-year period.

In Western Europe, the growth in minimum wages was much slower. France had the smallest increase among EU countries, rising by only 24% from €1,458 in 2015 to €1,802 in 2025. Germany saw a rise of €717, equating to a 50% increase, while the Netherlands recorded a 46% increase, with minimum wages climbing from €1,502 to €2,193.

Eastern and Southeastern European countries saw the fastest wage growth, which helped narrow the income gap with Western Europe. Since these regions started with lower wage levels, even moderate increases resulted in high percentage growth. The Baltic States also experienced significant wage increases, while Western European countries recorded more modest changes due to their already high wage levels and more stable economies.

Looking at the average annual rate of minimum wage growth between 2015 and 2025, Romania led among EU countries with an increase of 14.1% per year. Among candidate countries, Moldova recorded the highest annual growth rate at 18.4%. In contrast, France saw the slowest growth rate, averaging just 2.1% per year. Other EU countries with growth rates below 5% included Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Greece.