Clean Clothes Campaign sets Italy living wage threshold for 2026

The Clean Clothes Campaign has established a new living wage threshold for Italy for the year 2026. The estimate sets the required amount at 12 euros net per hour, which equates to 2,063 euros net per month or 24,756 euros net per year for full-time employment.

Unlike a legal minimum wage based on market values, this living wage is calculated according to the actual cost of living, including essential expenses such as food, housing, healthcare, education, clothing, and transport, while allowing for a margin of savings. The campaign has explicitly linked the pursuit of a living wage to climate justice, noting that lower-income individuals are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis.

Data indicates that real wages in Italy's private sector have declined by an average of 6.6% between 1990 and 2026, with the poorest 10% of workers seeing a peak reduction of 40.8%. The update comes amid warnings from the United Nations Environment Programme regarding the inevitability of exceeding the 1.5°C warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement.