Where does Turkey stand in terms of minimum wage levels in Europe?

Minimum wage earners, who did not receive an interim raise for the second half of the year, have been unable to avoid remaining at the very bottom among comparable countries in Europe. According to data from the European Union Statistical Office (Eurostat), the minimum wage in Turkey has fallen behind even countries like Lithuania, Romania, and Hungary in Euro terms. The gross minimum wage in Turkey is 530 Euros. Consequently, Turkey has become the country with the fifth-lowest gross minimum wage in Europe.

According to a report by Tolga Uğur from Sözcü, the countries with lower minimum wages than Turkey are Bulgaria, Albania, Moldova, and war-torn Ukraine. According to Eurostat data, which shares updated minimum wages for the second half of the year in Europe, the gross minimum wage in Luxembourg, which has the highest value, is nearly 5 times that of Turkey's minimum wage.

LOWEST MINIMUM WAGE IS IN UKRAINE

While the gross minimum wage in Luxembourg is 2,570 Euros, the minimum wage in Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany—which complete the top 5—is over 2,000 Euros. Similarly, the gross minimum wage is over 1,000 Euros in 10 countries. While the lowest minimum wage in Europe is in Ukraine at 184 Euros, Ukraine is followed by Moldova with 260 Euros and Albania with 398 Euros. There is no current data available regarding what percentage of employees earn the minimum wage in Turkey and Europe. 

HALF OF TURKEY EARNS MINIMUM WAGE

However, while the rate of those earning the minimum wage in Turkey is at the 40-50 percent level, it does not even exceed 15 percent in European countries. According to 2018 Eurostat data, this rate was 15.2 percent in Slovenia, 14.1 percent in Bulgaria, and 13.3 percent in Romania. While this value exceeds 10 percent in only 5 countries in Europe, the rate of those earning below the minimum wage was recorded at 0.9 percent in Belgium and 0.8 percent in Spain.

MINIMUM WAGE HAS BECOME THE AVERAGE WAGE

While the minimum wage has become the average wage in Turkey, the situation is the exact opposite in Europe. According to 2023 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the minimum wage in Turkey corresponded to 64.6 percent of the median wage. With this ratio, Turkey ranks second among European countries after Portugal. The ratio of the minimum wage to the median wage in countries geographically close to Turkey was 49.5 percent in Bulgaria, 56.2 percent in Romania, and 45 percent in Croatia.

News Source: 12punto