Malta Drops to 15th in EU Minimum Wage Ranking as Earnings Ratio Shrinks
· Updated
In brief
- Malta dropped to 15th place among European Union nations in national minimum wage comparisons.
- A Eurofound review found Malta was one of six EU countries where minimum pay fell relative to average earnings between 2016 and 2024.
- The Nationalist Party highlighted the figures, noting that countries such as Portugal and Greece now offer stronger relative minimum rates.
Malta has fallen to 15th position among European Union member states ranked by national minimum wage, according to findings from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, known as Eurofound.
The EU agency's latest annual review of living and working conditions revealed that Malta's statutory minimum wage lost ground relative to average national earnings between 2016 and 2024.
The research identified Malta as one of only six EU member states where the ratio of the minimum wage to average earnings registered a decline over the eight-year period examined.
In contrast, 16 member states recorded an increase in the proportion of minimum pay relative to average wages during the same timeframe, pointing to stronger upward adjustments in other European labour markets.
Because of these diverging trends, countries including Portugal and Greece now provide minimum wage levels that compare more favourably against their respective national average earnings than Malta.
The findings drew criticism from the Nationalist Party, which seized upon the Eurofound statistics to highlight Malta's slipping European standing and argue that local wage growth has failed to keep pace with economic expansion.
The Spin Room
Medium media divide. Reporting diverged in emphasis, with one outlet leading on the Nationalist Party's political reaction while another focused directly on Eurofound's economic data.
- Newsbook: Framed the story around the Nationalist Party's reaction and Malta's drop to 15th place in the European rankings.
- The Shift News: Focused on the detailed Eurofound research, highlighting the eight-year decline in wage ratios and comparisons with Greece and Portugal.
Updates
- : Updated with reporting from TVM News and The Malta Independent: Partit Nazzjonalista expressed renewed concern over the impact on purchasing power for baseline earners.