Despite efforts to raise it over the years, the minimum wage in Albania and Kosovo is the lowest in the Western Balkans region.
North Macedonia is leading the list after the government’s recent decision to bring the minimum wage up to €400 euros starting from March. 80 thousand Macedonian minimum wage workers will be getting an additional €50 euros in their monthly paychecks.
At the current level, North Macedonia will be leaving behind all neighboring countries, passing Serbia, which was leading the list so far.
Albania has decided to increase its minimum wage by €15 euros in July, for around 25% of workers, or 160 thousand citizens who work on minimum wage. However, even after this change our country, along with Kosovo, remains last in the region.
In Kosovo, there is currently an open debate between the Kurti administration and workers unions who are demanding to have the minimum wage go up from 250 to 350 euros. Since 2011, the minimum wage in Kosovo is distributed in two separate installments of €130 and €170 euros each.
Our region is also known for having the lowest minimum wage in all of Europe, with a substantial difference of 3 times lower than the average minimum wage in the European Union.
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