Over the course of a year, minimum wages in Montenegro rose by more than 20%, outpacing all EU candidate countries. This result put the country at the top of the Eurostat ranking and clearly showed how quickly the region’s economic map is changing.
A record leap under the “Europe Now 2” program
From July 2024 to July 2025, Montenegro’s minimum wage increased by more than 20% — an absolute record among all European Union candidate countries. North Macedonia came second with a similar figure, while several countries recorded declines.
This significant growth was the result of the government program“Europe Now 2”, launched in October 2024 at the initiative of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić. Under the reform,the minimum wagefor workers with secondary education was set at€600, while for university graduates it was set at€700.
For comparison: before the reform, the minimum wage in the country was €450. Thus, the increase amounted to+€150or+33% in nominal terms, but when calculated from July 2024 to July 2025, Eurostat’s figures show an increase of just over 20% due to recalculation using annual average values.
Where Montenegro stands on Europe’s wage map
According toEurostat, in July 2025 minimum wages in EU countries ranged from€551 in Bulgariato€2,704 in Luxembourg. Among candidate countries, the lowest amount was recorded inUkraine — just €164.
It is important to note that there are five EU member states in Europe wherethere is no legally established minimum wage: Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Austria and Finland.