EU real wages decline 3% from 2020 to 2025 due to inflation

7 articles · Updated · Euronews · Apr 25

Hourly gross wages rose from €21.5 to €26.2, but consumer prices increased 25.6%, eroding purchasing power. Real wages fell in 12 of 30 European countries.
Bulgaria saw the highest real wage growth at 37.4%, while Italy had the largest decline at 9.2%. All of the EU’s four largest economies experienced real wage decreases.
Nominal wage growth outpaced inflation in some non-euro countries, but wage gaps remain wide across Europe. As of 2025, Luxembourg has the highest hourly wage at €49.7, Bulgaria the lowest at €10.5.

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