Luxembourg – European salary champion!

Eurostat published a new study on average wages per country in the European Union, in full-time equivalents.

Luxembourg again tops the list, with a gross income of 72,250 euros per year.

In 2021, the average annual full-time adjusted salary for employees in the EU was 33,500 euros. It follows that the the average adjusted salary in Luxembourg is more than two times higher than the European average!

The Blue Card Directive prescribes the use of this indicator for determining the average gross annual salary for each EU Member State and granting working permits to high-skilled workers. The Directive aims to attract highly skilled workers to the EU under more flexible admission conditions, with enhanced rights and the possibility to move more easily to another EU Member State for EU Blue Card holders.

With 72,250 euros the average gross annual salary in Luxembourg ranks first among the countries where employees are best paid, according to the latest Eurostat study, published on 19 December 2022. Part-time salaries have been taken into account and adjusted to be expressed as full-time equivalents. Both residents and cross-border commuters are included.

The second country in the list is Denmark (63,260 euros) followed by Ireland (50,350 euros). While the lowest wages are recorded in Bulgaria (10,350 euros), Hungary (12,620 euros) and Romania (13,000 euros).

Luxembourg often tops wage rankings

Another Eurostat study comparing GDP per capita in purchasing power equivalent ranked Luxembourg number 1 in 2019.

This is not the first time that Luxembourg has taken the top spot in such rankings either. The country has the highest minimum wage in the EU, both in terms of the amount and the purchasing power standard.