Greece is placed in the bottom half of OECD members regarding annual gross average wages for 2025, in a survey focusing on 27b European countries, 22 of which are in the European Union (EU).
Greece is below the €30,000 average threshold, as workers receive €26,563 annually, putting the country below 22 EU countries, along with nine other countries.
According to the OECD, the average gross wages across Europe ranged from €18,590 in Turkey to €107,487 in Switzerland in 2025, with a stark divide persisting between northwestern and southeastern Europe, according to the OECD’s Taxing Wages 2026 report.
Switzerland was the only country where average gross wages exceeded €100,000. Iceland ranked second at €85,950, followed by Luxembourg at €77,844 — the highest in the EU — then Denmark at €71,961 and the Netherlands at €69,028. Germany led the EU’s five largest economies at €66,700, with the United Kingdom close behind at €65,340. France came in at €45,964, Italy at €36,594, and Spain at €32,678 — roughly half the German and British figures.
Greece’s position improves markedly in PPP terms, reaching $50,974 — a significant jump from its near-bottom nominal ranking. However, the report highlights a more troubling underlying trend: Greek real wages in PPP terms have fallen 21.2 percent since 2010, when the country’s debt crisis erupted, making Greece unique among advanced economies in sustaining such a prolonged wage decline. Despite successive increases to the minimum wage, Greece remains near the bottom of the EU in purchasing power terms, alongside Bulgaria.
Turkey recorded the largest improvement between nominal and PPP rankings, rising nine places to 18th. Germany moved up five places. Iceland fell the furthest, dropping from second to ninth, while Estonia fell from 20th to 25th.
International Labour Organization experts cited by Euronews attributed European wage disparities to three main factors: productivity and economic structure, labor market institutions, and the cost of living. Countries with high-value-added sectors such as finance and technology, strong trade unions, and collective bargaining frameworks tend to offer higher wages, while higher price levels also tend to push nominal wages upward.
