Malta falls to 15th in EU minimum wage rankings

Malta has fallen to 15th place among the 22 EU member states with a national statutory minimum wage, according to the latest review by Eurofound. Having ranked eighth in both 2016 and 2021, the country has dropped seven positions by 2026.

This shift is attributed to rapid wage growth in several central and eastern European economies. Since 2016, Malta has been overtaken by Slovenia, Lithuania, Poland, Cyprus, Portugal, Croatia, and Greece. Lithuania saw the most significant advancement, moving from 20th to 9th place, while Poland rose from 13th to 10th.

Eurofound noted that the implementation of the EU Minimum Wage Directive has encouraged countries to assess wages against indicators such as median or average earnings. While statutory minimum wages increased in real terms in 21 of the 22 surveyed countries, the agency warned that rising rates may narrow the gap with collectively agreed wages, potentially compressing wage scales and making it harder to distinguish pay based on skills and experience.