A ranking of countries with the highest minimum wages among OECD members, measured by hourly and annual earnings using the latest international data.
A minimum wage is the lowest salary or payment in exchange for work (labor) that employers can legally remunerate their workers – the price floor below which workers may not sell their labor.
Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. However, comparing wages internationally can be difficult because countries use different systems, labor laws, and cost-of-living standards.
OECD data and methodology
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental economic organization and forum for governments to share experiences and seek solutions to common economic and social problems.
Generally, OECD member states are considered to be high-income economies with a high or very high Human Development Index (HDI).
The OECD first adjusts wages for inflation using that year’s prices, then converts them into a common international dollar based on purchasing power parity (PPP).
PPP adjustment makes cross-country comparisons fair by accounting for differences in cost of living. Without it, exchange rate fluctuations would distort the numbers.
This allows minimum wages to be compared more fairly by accounting for differences in living costs between countries.
Minimum wages across OECD countries
Almost all workers in OECD member states are entitled to be paid at least a national minimum wage, sometimes called a national living wage. As such, it is fair to make the assumption that the countries with the highest minimum wages in the world are likely to be OECD members.
Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands record the highest real minimum wages, exceeding $34,000 annually when adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP).
At the hourly level, Germany and Luxembourg lead at $17 per hour, while the Netherlands, Australia, France, New Zealand, and the UK follow closely at $16.
Countries with the highest minimum wage – ranked
The table ranks the OECD member and non-member countries by the highest hourly minimum wage in place in 2024, the latest available data from the OECD.
Some countries have been omitted due to a lack of available data.
| Country | Hourly ($ PPP) | Annually ($ PPP) |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | $16 | $32,576 |
| Belgium | $15 | $31,654 |
| Canada | $13 | $27,967 |
| Chile | $5 | $10,931 |
| Colombia | $4 | $11,107 |
| Costa Rica | $5 | $13,469 |
| Czechia | $8 | $15,326 |
| Estonia | $7 | $14,770 |
| France | $16 | $28,710 |
| Germany | $17 | $34,053 |
| Greece | $8 | $19,984 |
| Hungary | $8 | $16,534 |
| Ireland | $14 | $28,716 |
| Israel | $9 | $18,745 |
| Korea | $11 | $26,512 |
| Latvia | $7 | $15,415 |
| Lithuania | $10 | $20,397 |
| Luxembourg | $17 | $34,857 |
| Mexico | $3 | $5,892 |
| Netherlands | $16 | $35,250 |
| New Zealand | $16 | $32,247 |
| Poland | $12 | $24,730 |
| Portugal | $9 | $19,814 |
| Slovak Republic | $8 | $15,944 |
| Slovenia | $12 | $25,038 |
| Spain | $14 | $26,216 |
| Türkiye | $9 | $19,123 |
| United Kingdom | $16 | $33,071 |
| United States | $7 | $15,080 |
| Brazil | $3 | $6,712 |
| Bulgaria | $7 | $14,390 |
| Croatia | $8 | $19,839 |
| Malta | $2 | $18,194 |
| Peru | $3 | $6,308 |
| Romania | $10 | $19,907 |
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.