Romania ranks among the European countries with the highest number of employees paid at the minimum wage level.
10.5% of Romanian workers were paid, in 2022, the reference year with the most recent data published by Eurostat, with less than 105% of the minimum wage. This percentage places Romania fourth in the European Union, after Bulgaria, France, and Slovenia.
In absolute numbers, this means over 800,000 individuals in 2024, as indicated by the cited source. In practice, this is more than in countries with much larger economies, such as Spain, which has a population of around 49 million inhabitants, or the Netherlands.
Purchasing power remains modest: in terms of purchasing power standard (PPS), the Romanian minimum wage stands at 1,279 units, significantly below the levels in Poland, Spain, or Ireland, and barely half compared to Germany or Luxembourg.
[Read more](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/romania-urca-in-clasamentul-salariilor-minime-din-ue-dar-ramane-departe-de-vest)
### Share of Workers Paid the Minimum Wage in Europe
Approximately 13 million workers in 21 EU member states earn the minimum wage or even less, according to Eurostat data.
At the same time, the statistical office of the European Union estimates that in 2022, the share of employees earning less than 105% of the minimum wage varied from 2.6% in the Czech Republic to 13% in Bulgaria.
Since the earnings concept used in defining the minimum wage differs from that in wage surveys, Eurostat sets the threshold at 105% of the minimum wage to approximate the real share of workers paid at the minimum wage.
Although the data reflect the situation in 2022, they were only published at the end of 2025, as Eurostat provides these estimates once every four years to track long-term trends and to offer a clearer picture of the situation, notes [Euronews](https://www.euronews.com/business/2025/11/14/the-share-of-minimum-wage-earners-across-europe-from-highest-to-lowest).
[Read more](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/uniunea-europeana-si-a-depasit-atributiile-in-stabilirea-regulilor-privind-salariul-minim-a-hotarat-cjue)
### Countries with the Highest Share of Employees Paid the Minimum Wage
The share of employees earning the minimum wage or less is 10% or higher in seven EU member states. Besides Bulgaria, which tops the list, these are: France (12.7%), Slovenia (12.6%), Romania (10.5%), Greece (10.2%), Poland (10.1%), and Hungary (10%).
Conversely, the Czech Republic (2.6%), Portugal (3.1%), Estonia (3.3%), the Netherlands (3.5%), Malta (3.5%), and Spain (3.6%) record the lowest shares – all below 4%.
Among the largest European economies, France has the highest proportion of workers paid the minimum wage (12.7%), compared to 8% in Germany, 6.5% in the United Kingdom, and 3.6% in Spain.
[Read more](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/germania-creste-salariul-minim-pe-economie)
### Turkey, a Major Exception
Turkey remains a major exception, with a significantly higher proportion of employees earning the minimum wage or less. The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) reports that 37.5% of Turkish workers earned the minimum wage or less in 2022.
Data for the United Kingdom and Turkey come from national sources, not Eurostat, making them not directly comparable with EU figures.
In the mid-2010s, Eurostat estimated that around 43% of Turkish workers earned the minimum wage, with similar figures reported in 2020.
„In Turkey, the minimum wage has long ceased to be a lower threshold and has become the average wage. With trade union rights constantly under pressure, millions of workers are forced to survive on or around the minimum wage,” DİSK conveyed in a statement from October 2025, cited by Euronews.
[Read more](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/germania-creste-salariul-minim-pe-economie)
### How Many People Earn the Minimum Wage
The exact number of workers paid the minimum wage is challenging to determine and often varies between different data sources, according to the OECD. Eurostat provides its own estimates, but small firms are frequently excluded, meaning the actual figure is likely higher.
In 2024, France had the highest number of workers paid the minimum wage – around 3.5 million – followed by Germany with 3.2 million.
Across the 21 EU states analyzed, the total reached 12.8 million. The United Kingdom had around 1.9 million, while Turkey recorded 11.2 million – just 1.6 million less than the combined total of the 21 EU states.
[Read more](https://spotmedia.ro/stiri/economie/germania-creste-salariul-minim-pe-economie)
### Minimum Wage and Income Inequality
The European Commission’s report, „The Impact of Minimum Wages on Income Inequality in the EU,” published by the Joint Research Centre, emphasizes that minimum wage policies influence income distribution at the national level and can therefore affect income distribution across the entire EU population.
The purchasing power of the minimum wage varies considerably in Europe. The five countries with the highest minimum wages expressed in purchasing power standard (PPS) are Luxembourg (2,035), Germany (1,989), the Netherlands (1,937), Belgium (1,812), and Ireland (1,653).
The lowest values are recorded in Estonia (886), Latvia (905), Bulgaria (922), the Czech Republic (936), and Slovakia (963).
Countries aspiring to join the EU – North Macedonia (1,069), Turkey (1,062), and Montenegro (1,058) – have minimum wages in PPS higher than some EU member states.
In October 2022, the European Commission adopted a directive on adequate minimum wages in the EU, aiming to ensure that workers’ incomes are sufficient to guarantee a decent standard of living throughout the Union.