Malta’s minimum wage falling behind – Portugal and Greece also pay better

Malta’s minimum wage fell when compared to average earnings between 2016 and 2024, making it one of six EU countries to record a decline, according to Eurofound, the EU agency that researches living and working conditions latest annual review.

On the other hand, the ratio increased in 16 member states.

Alongside Malta, declines were recorded in Belgium, Bulgaria, Hungary, Latvia and Lithuania.

The report states that Malta’s gross national minimum wage rose from €221.78 to €229.44 a week in 2026, an increase of €7.66, or approximately 3.5%.

The increase ranked 17th among the 22 EU countries with national minimum wages, compared with an average increase of 6.7% across those countries.

Malta’s monthly equivalent of approximately €994 ranked 15th.

It was below Greece’s €1,027, Portugal’s €1,073, Cyprus’s €1,088 and Spain’s €1,425.

Luxembourg recorded the highest monthly rate at €2,704, while Bulgaria had the lowest at €620. The figures are gross amounts and are not adjusted for differences in national price levels.

Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Sweden do not have a single national minimum wage, relying instead on collectively agreed wage floors.

Eurofound placed Malta among countries with relatively small purchasing-power gains in its comparison, mainly covering January 2025 to January 2026. Minimum wages increased faster than consumer prices in all countries with national minimum wages except Romania.

Most workers in Malta earn above the minimum wage.

Eurofound estimated that fewer than 5% of employees earned within 10% of the national minimum in 2023.

That estimate covers workers in Malta overall and does not provide a separate breakdown for Maltese citizens and third-country nationals.

According to a 2026 Central Bank discussion paper, available research indicates third-country nationals typically earn lower wages. It cautioned that annual tax records can understate wage levels when workers are employed for only part of the year.