Greece to Increase Minimum Wage by €50 a Month From April 1

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced an increase of €50 ($53.9) a month to the country’s minimum wage for employees، lifting the amount to €830 from €780.

The decision will take effect from April 1st and relieves workers “without affecting the strength of the economy and the competitiveness of businesses،” Mitsotakis said Friday at a meeting of his cabinet in Athens. The government’s aim is to bring the minimum wage to €950 per month by 2027، he added.

The country’s economy has made a remarkable recovery since 2010، when the Greek debt crisis started. Greek economic growth outperformed European peers in 2023، and ratings firms returned the country to investment-grade status.

Despite the strong recovery، Greeks have been struggling with low wages، increased consumer prices، elevated energy costs and a persistent housing crisis.

Greece belongs to a group of European countries with a national minimum wage that’s equal to or less than €1،000 a month، according to Eurostat. These countries include Bulgaria، Cyprus، Poland، and Romania.

The eastern Mediterranean country is also among the European Union members that saw the lowest average annual growth rates in the minimum wage level over the past decade، according to Eurostat.