The continuous increase in the minimum wage in Albania has not managed to improve the situation, especially when it comes to purchasing power. Eurostat has reported the first data on the minimum wage in Europe for 2025.  
In Albania, the minimum wage has reached Euro 405. Even with the help of the exchange rate, the minimum wage remains lower than in Serbia, which has increased it to the level of Euro 619 and Montenegro of Euro 670. For North Macedonia, the latest reporting is the first half of 2021, at Euro 360. 
Although it has increased, the salary in Albania is worth less, due to the high cost of living. The Eurostat data shows that based on purchasing power, the minimum wage was the lowest in Europe at the beginning of 2025. 
Eurostat explains that the measurement according to purchasing power parity (PPP) shows how many monetary units a certain amount of goods and services costs in different countries. 
The use of PPPs to convert expenditures expressed in national currencies into a common artificial currency, the purchasing power standard (PPS), eliminates the effect of price level differences between countries, created by fluctuations in currency exchange rates. 
These data are derived by comparing price levels for a comparable basket of goods and services that have been chosen to be representative of consumption patterns in different countries. 
On 1 January 2025, 22 of the 27 EU countries had a national minimum wage. There are 5 EU countries without a national minimum wage: Denmark, Italy, Austria, Finland and Sweden. Monthly minimum wages vary widely across the EU from Euro 551 in Bulgaria to Euro 2,638 in Luxembourg. 
Among the 10 candidate and potential candidate countries, 7 have a national minimum wage (Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine) while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Kosovo do not. 
Based on their national gross monthly minimum wages applicable on 1 January 2025, expressed in euros, the EU countries concerned can be classified into three different groups: above Euro 1,500 per month: This group includes Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and France. Their national minimum wages ranged from Euro 1,802 in France to Euro 2,638 in Luxembourg. From Euro 1,000 to Euro 1,500 per month: This group includes Spain, Slovenia, Poland, Lithuania, Portugal and Cyprus. Their national minimum wages ranged from Euro 1,000 in Cyprus to Euro 1,381 in Spain.