Macedonia’s minimum wage provides workers with greater purchasing power than minimum wages in Serbia, Montenegro and the rest of the Western Balkans, according to the latest Eurostat data.
When adjusted for differences in living costs, Macedonia’s gross minimum wage reached 1,142 purchasing power standards, or PPS, in July 2026. That placed the country 16th among the 27 countries included in the ranking and ahead of seven European Union members, all other Western Balkan countries and Turkey.
PPS is an artificial currency unit used to compare how much the same amount of money can buy in different countries. In theory, one PPS purchases the same quantity of goods and services in every country.
Macedonia ranked just ahead of Serbia, where the minimum wage was valued at 1,094 PPS. Montenegro followed with 1,014 PPS, while Albania placed last with 705 PPS. Germany topped the purchasing-power ranking at 2,164 PPS, followed by Luxembourg at 2,108.
However, the picture changes significantly when minimum wages are compared in nominal euros without adjusting for living costs.
Macedonia’s gross monthly minimum wage was listed at €624, below Serbia’s €743 and Montenegro’s €670. In that ranking, Macedonia placed 24th among 29 countries. Luxembourg had the highest gross minimum wage at €2,771, while Ukraine ranked last at €169.
Governor Trajko Slaveski shared the results on X, noting that he had made a similar argument the previous year and faced strong public criticism for it.
The data also showed that only eight of the 29 European countries covered increased their gross minimum wages between January and July 2026. During the same six-month period, consumer prices in the eurozone rose by 3.2%.
The findings illustrate how rankings based on purchasing power can differ sharply from comparisons based solely on wages expressed in euros. They also show that the gap between European countries narrows when local living costs are taken into account.
