VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has fallen to 15th place among 22 EU member states with a national statutory minimum wage, according to the latest review by Eurofound.
The European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions said Malta, which ranked eighth in both 2016 and 2021, had slipped seven places by 2026.
Since 2016, Malta has been overtaken by Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia and Greece, reflecting rapid wage growth across several central and eastern European economies.
Lithuania recorded the biggest rise, moving from 20th place in 2016 to ninth in 2026. Poland climbed from 13th to 10th, while Slovenia rose to seventh and Croatia to 13th.
Germany also advanced, moving from sixth to third place among the 22 countries, behind Luxembourg and Ireland.
Malta now ranks immediately behind Greece and remains ahead of Estonia, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Latvia and Bulgaria.
Eurofound attributed part of the shift to policy-driven wage increases, including implementation of the EU Minimum Wage Directive, which encourages countries to assess minimum wages against indicators such as median or average earnings.
The agency said statutory minimum wages increased in real terms in 21 of the 22 countries with national minimum wages.
However, rising statutory rates are also narrowing the gap with collectively agreed wages in lower-paid sectors, potentially compressing wage scales and making it harder to maintain differences based on skills and experience.
Eurofound’s ranking compares gross nominal minimum wages on a standardised 12-month basis and does not account for taxation, social contributions, benefits or living costs.
In Malta, the statutory minimum wage is €229.44 per week in 2026, or about €994 a month gross, including cost-of-living adjustments, according to DIER data.
The first €12,700 of income is exempt from income tax, while minimum-wage earners are subject to a capped 10% National Insurance contribution.
Energy and fuel subsidies, free healthcare and targeted in-work benefits can also affect households’ disposable income.
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(ITALPRESS).
