Portugal: One of the lowest paid countries in Europe

Portugal continues to be one of the European Union countries where the national minimum wage is among the lowest, despite the updates of the last four years, which raised the minimum wage by almost 19% in nominal terms.

Among the 22 European countries that updated the minimum wage in 2019 through legislation, Portugal ranks 12th, according to a study conducted by the Office of Strategy and Planning of the Ministry of Labour, recently presented on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the minimum wage.

The minimum wage in Portugal has increased in the last four years from €505 in 2016 to €600 in 2019, a nominal increase of almost 19% and real (excluding inflation) of 14%.

The first meeting of the Social Dialogue is scheduled for Wednesday, in Lisbon, on the update of the minimum wage for 2020, with the new Government of António Costa to set a target of €750 by 2023.

According to the study, Portugal is “among the countries with the lowest minimum wage in both the EU and the Eurozone” and “the recent increases in the minimum wage in Portugal do not change its relative position” in the European “ranking”.

According to the table that presents nominal values and adjusted to monthly values (12 months) and taking into account the various rules in the member states, Luxembourg is at the top, with a minimum wage of €2,071.10 a month, that is, almost three times the Portuguese.

Secondly, the United Kingdom has a minimum wage of €1,746.70. Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France are still in the top €1,500 bracket.

Portugal, whose adjusted value at 12 months is €700 euros, is still below Spain (€1,050), Slovenia (€886.60), Malta (€762) and Greece (€758.30).

Of the 28 member states, 22 updated the minimum wage in 2019 through legislation or an intersectoral agreement.

In six EU countries – Italy, Cyprus, Austria, Denmark, Finland and Sweden – there is no statutory minimum wage and fixed increases in collective (sectoral) bargaining apply.