Greece’s Ministry of National Economy and Finance has challenged opposition claims about the country’s wage levels, citing Eurostat figures showing that net earnings have increased significantly since 2019 and that Greece now ranks ahead of 10 European Union countries.
The ministry said the opposition PASOK and Hellenic Solution (EL.A.S.) parties had presented a selective picture of the Greek economy by focusing on gross annual salaries while overlooking the growth in net earnings.
It argued that the figures contradicted claims that Greece remained at the bottom of the European wage rankings.
Since 2019, Greece’s gross minimum monthly wage has risen from 650 euros to 920 euros in 2026, an increase of 270 euros or 41.5%.
Meanwhile, data from the ERGANI employment information system show that the average monthly salary of full-time private-sector employees increased from 1,264 euros in 2019 to 1,516 euros in 2025. Based on 14 monthly payments, this represents an annual salary of 21,224 euros.
Eurostat figures also show that Greece’s labour cost index rose by 38.6% between the second quarters of 2019 and 2026, compared with a 24.4% increase in the Consumer Price Index over the same pe...