Wages in Poland are rising at a record pace, rapidly closing the gap with Western Europe and reshaping Central and Eastern Europe’s salary rankings.
When converted to euros, Polish wages have jumped by 14.2 per cent year-on-year, well above the EU average of 4.2 per cent, says Polish media.
Over the past five years, hourly wages in Poland have climbed nearly 80 per cent, significantly boosting the country’s real exchange rate and global purchasing power.
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Poland closes the gap with Czech Republic
For years, the Czech Republic maintained a clear wage lead over Poland. Average net monthly earnings in Prague hover around €1,583, compared to approximately €1,407 in Warsaw, according to ParityDeals data.
But that gap is narrowing fast.
In fact, Poland has now overtaken countries like Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and even the Czech Republic in some sectors. And that’s thanks to dynamic wage growth and robust productivity.
But these rises come with challenges. Poland’s trade surplus is at €27 billion, still that figure has nearly halved over the past year. Rising labour costs could start to affect export competitiveness unless tempered by a slower wage growth or a weaker złoty.
Businesses have so far proven resilient, but the pressure is building. Calls for immigration reform are growing louder, says Polish media, as firms seek to control wage inflation by easing labour shortages.
For Poland, the question now is not whether it can catch up to its richer neighbours, but whether it can do so without overheating.
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