Plans to increase Portugal’s minimum wage has been announced – but the higher salary is still far below some of its European Union counterparts.
The minimum wage in Portugal is set to rise to €870 a month in 2025 after the country’s minister of labour said this week that the increase was “absolutely a done deal”.
Currently, workers in Portugal get a minimum pay of €820 a month.
The government has also proposed raising the minimum wage by €50 a year until 2028, increasing the national minimum wage to €1,020 in 2028.
Despite the increase, Portugal’s minimum amount remains far below its European Union counterparts.
According to data from Eurostat, out of 22 member states, Portugal’s minimum wage ranks twelfth in the EU.
The European ranking is led by Luxembourg, where the minimum monthly wage stands at €2,204 per month.
Behind Luxembourg is Ireland, where workers earn a minimum wage of €1,840 a month. The Netherlands comes in third with €1,829 per month.
Belgium is also in the top five highest minimum wage-paying countries in the EU with a monthly salary of €1,774. Germany pays €1,761, while France’s minimum pay is set at €1,550 per month.
What’s considered a good salary?
Meanwhile, Euronews Business recently reported on what is considered a good salary across Europe, comparing data.
The answer of course depends on factors such as where you live, your experience, education, industry, needs and lifestyle.
Some key findings showed that in Germany, according to Talentup, a gross annual salary between €64,000 and €70,000 is considered a good salary. This translates to approximately €40,000 to €43,000 net per year or between €3,300 and €3,600 net per month for a single person.
Meanwhile, as of 2024, the average net monthly salary in France is €2,587, while the median salary is €1,940, according to HousingAnywhere. Typically, a good salary for a comfortable life in France is around €3,200 per month for a single person or €5,600 per month for a family of three.
HousingAnywhere also noted that the average net salary in Spain in 2024 is €1,785 per month, or €2,250 gross. For a comfortable life, a good monthly net salary in Spain is estimated to be around €2,700 for a single person or €4,000 for someone supporting a family.
In Ireland, a gross salary ranging between €4,100 and €6,000 per month is considered good for a comfortable life, according to Instarem.
The gross average salary for full-time workers in the country is €3,220 per month.