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European minimum wages outpace food inflation in most countries
An analysis of 26 European countries reveals that while food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 34 percent across the EU between August 2021 and August 2026, minimum wages grew faster in most nations, improving purchasing power for many.
However, exceptions exist. In Malta, minimum wage workers can buy approximately 6 percent less food than five years ago. Workers in Spain and France also experienced a decline in food-related purchasing power. Hungary saw the highest food price increase in the EU at 57 percent, while Turkey experienced an extreme surge of 752 percent over the same five-year period.
In Turkey, food prices rose by 2.73 percent in September compared to August, marking 76 consecutive months of increases. The analysis highlights that while wage increases like Hungary's 93 percent or Germany's 46 percent are significant, the actual ability to purchase food varies widely due to localized inflation and economic shifts.
Entities
Alcampo · Dani · El Jamón · Euronews Business · European Union · Eurostat · Hungary · Malta · OCU · Spain · Turkey
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 13 SOURCES] In Malta, minimum wage workers can buy approximately 6 percent less food than they could five years ago. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +8 more
- [● 9 SOURCES] In most of the 26 European countries analyzed, minimum wages grew faster than food prices between 2021 and 2026. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +4 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in Turkey rose by 752 percent over a five-year period. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +8 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices in the EU increased by 34 percent between August 2021 and August 2026. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +8 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Minimum wage workers lost purchasing power relative to food in only three of the 26 analyzed countries. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · de.euronews.com · es.euronews.com · +8 more
- [● 2 SOURCES] In Turkey, food prices rose by 2.73 percent in September compared to August. www.gazetezebra.com.tr · www.upreg.fr
- [● 11 SOURCES] Hungary recorded the highest minimum wage increase in the EU at 93 percent. bosnainfo.ba · novasloboda.ba · www.economx.hu · femina.hu · businessmag.al · +6 more