Bulgarian workers receive the lowest wages in the European Union.

Omissions

• The claim is accurate in nominal terms; however, when wages are expressed in Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) to account for differences in price levels, Bulgaria's position improves and it is no longer the absolute lowest, so the nominal comparison can overstate the real gap in living standards.
• Eurostat's 2024 salary figure (published 12 November 2025) is the most recent full-year average-salary comparison available before the session date; 2025 full-year average-salary data were not yet published.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Annual full-time adjusted salary in EU up 5.2% in 2024In contrast, the lowest average salaries were recorded in Bulgaria (€15 400), Greece (€18 000) and Hungary (€18 500).
• PrimaryEurostat — Minimum wage statistics (Statistics Explained)On 1 July 2026, minimum wages in the EU ranged from €620 per month in Bulgaria to €2 771 per month in Luxembourg.
• PrimaryEurostat — Wages and labour costs (Statistics Explained)In 2025, the average hourly labour cost was €34.9 in the EU, ranging from €12.0 in Bulgaria to €56.8 in Luxembourg.