The Greek government is examining scenarios that would raise the country’s minimum wage by €50, as the consultation process with social partners moves ahead rapidly. By January 25, unions and employers’ organizations are required to submit their proposals to the Organisation for Mediation and Arbitration (OMED), a body that plays a key role in the wage-setting process.
Although these proposals are not binding, they will be factored into the government’s final decision. OMED is expected to compile the results of the consultations and forward its report to the Ministry of Labour by mid-February. In mid-March, Labour Minister Niki Kerameus will submit her recommendation to the Cabinet, which will decide on the final level of the minimum wage. Any increase would take effect from April 1, 2026, and remain in force until March 31, 2027.
The prevailing scenario foresees a €50 increase, which would lift the monthly minimum wage to €930 as of April 2026. Under this assumption, the wage is expected with near certainty to exceed €950 by 2027, a level the government has publicly set as a policy target.
In recent years, the minimum wage in Greece has risen steadily. Over the 2022–2025 period, increases amounted to €50 in 2022, 2024 and 2025, and €67 in 2023. On the basis of this trajectory, the government is widely seen as intent on pushing through an increase of at least €50, raising the minimum wage from its current level of €880 to €930 next April.
At the same time, an alternative scenario remains on the table. This would involve a one-off adjustment of €70, taking the minimum wage directly to €950 from April 2026. Should this option be adopted, the government’s €950 target would be met a year ahead of schedule, opening the way for a further rise in the election year of 2027 that could bring the minimum wage to €1,000.
Under Greece’s Labour Code, the level of the minimum wage is determined by a range of economic and social indicators. These include the overall condition and growth prospects of the Greek economy, developments in productivity and competitiveness, employment and unemployment trends, and the purchasing power and adequacy of the statutory minimum wage in relation to the cost of living and broader wage developments.
For this year’s decision in particular, the overriding consideration is expected to be the need to protect and strengthen workers’ purchasing power in an environment of elevated prices and rising living costs.
