The Czech government will raise the minimum wage by CZK 1,600 a month beginning in January, bringing the lowest possible full-time earnings to CZK 22,400 gross, Labor Minister Marian Jurečka confirmed to Czech Television.
The increase means the minimum wage will equal more than 43 percent of the average wage, the highest ratio in the country’s history. The Ministry of Finance estimates the average salary in 2026 will reach nearly CZK 51,500, with the government aiming to gradually raise the minimum wage to 47 percent of that amount by 2029.
Currently, about 118,000 people (just over 3 percent of employees) earn the minimum wage, according to ministry data. Jobs such as street cleaning, garment work, and porcelain manufacturing are among the most affected.
Jurečka said purchasing power for low-income workers has risen in recent years. “The purchasing power of people with the lowest incomes has also increased over the past two years as wages have increased,” he told Czech Television.
💶 EUROPE’s highest minimum wages
📉 EUROPE’s lowest minimum wages
Supporters of the measure argue that raising the wage floor benefits the broader economy. “The procedure is correct because all wages and salaries in the economy depend on the minimum wage,” said Pavla Pivoňka Vaňková, deputy chairwoman of the parliamentary committee for social policy from the STAN party.
However, opposition parties and unions argue that the increase is not substantial enough. Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Aleš Juchelka of the ANO party noted that some European countries have tied their minimum wage to half of the average salary.
Lucie Šafránková, deputy chairwoman of the social policy committee from the SPD, called the government’s approach “very inadequate.” She said her party’s proposal would have raised the minimum by CZK 3,100 instead.
Josef Středula, head of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions, also pushed for faster growth. “The minimum wage is far below the cost of living for someone who lives alone, and if they live with a family or an incomplete family, these are extremely insufficient amounts,” he said.
Employer groups, meanwhile, have backed the government’s incremental approach, describing the automatic calculation system as a reasonable compromise.
The Czech Republic’s minimum wage remains among the lowest in the EU.
Nine member states, including the Czech Republic, still have statutory minimum wages below EUR 1,000 (CZK 24,526) a month. By comparison, Poland’s minimum is set to rise to the equivalent of CZK 27,660 next year, while Luxembourg’s currently stands at CZK 64,714, the highest in the EU.