German Labor Costs 2025: €45.00/Hour, 29% Above EU Average | Destatis - News and Statistics

Apr 30, 2026

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), companies in Germany’s manufacturing and service sectors paid an average of 45.00 euros per hour worked in 2025. This figure was about 29 percent above the European Union average of 34.90 euros. Compared with the previous year, German labor costs per hour rose by 3.6 percent, a slower increase than the EU-wide average of 4.1 percent.

Within the EU, the highest hourly labor costs in 2025 were recorded in Luxembourg at 56.80 euros, followed by Denmark at 51.70 euros and the Netherlands at 47.90 euros. The lowest costs were found in Hungary (15.20 euros), Romania (13.60 euros), and Bulgaria (12.00 euros). Notably, data for 2025 were not yet available for Belgium, which had ranked third in the previous year.

The largest percentage increases in labor costs in 2025 occurred in Bulgaria (+13.1 percent), Croatia (+11.6 percent), and Poland (+10.5 percent). The smallest rises were in France (+2.0 percent), Denmark (+3.0 percent), and Italy (+3.2 percent). Malta saw a slight decline of 0.5 percent compared with the previous year.

Compared with 2020, German labor costs rose by at least 14 percent across all economic sectors. Increases exceeding 30 percent were observed in professional, scientific, and technical services; other economic services; and the hospitality industry. The overall average increase over the five-year period was 22.3 percent. Germany’s labor cost premium over the EU average remained nearly unchanged, at 30 percent in 2020 and 29 percent in 2025.

1. INTRODUCTION

Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business

REPORT DESCRIPTION
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND THE AI PLATFORM
DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
GLOSSARY AND SPECIFIC TERMS

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A Quick Overview of Market Performance

KEY FINDINGS
MARKET TRENDS This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional EditionPRO

3. MARKET OVERVIEW

Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects

MARKET SIZE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
CONSUMPTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
MARKET FORECAST TO 2035

4. MOST PROMISING PRODUCTS FOR DIVERSIFICATION

Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business

TOP PRODUCTS TO DIVERSIFY YOUR BUSINESS
BEST-SELLING PRODUCTS
MOST CONSUMED PRODUCTS
MOST TRADED PRODUCTS
MOST PROFITABLE PRODUCTS FOR EXPORT

5. MOST PROMISING SUPPLYING COUNTRIES

Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain

TOP COUNTRIES TO SOURCE YOUR PRODUCT
TOP PRODUCING COUNTRIES
TOP EXPORTING COUNTRIES
LOW-COST EXPORTING COUNTRIES

6. MOST PROMISING OVERSEAS MARKETS

Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export

TOP OVERSEAS MARKETS FOR EXPORTING YOUR PRODUCT
TOP CONSUMING MARKETS
UNSATURATED MARKETS
TOP IMPORTING MARKETS
MOST PROFITABLE MARKETS

7. PRODUCTION

The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry

PRODUCTION VOLUME AND VALUE: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

8. IMPORTS

The Largest Import Supplying Countries

IMPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
IMPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

9. EXPORTS

The Largest Destinations for Exports

EXPORTS: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORTS BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)
EXPORT PRICES BY COUNTRY: HISTORICAL DATA (2012–2025) AND FORECAST (2026–2035)

10. PROFILES OF MAJOR PRODUCERS

The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles

11. COUNTRY PROFILES

The Largest Markets And Their Profiles

This Chapter is Available Only for the Professional Edition
PRO

11.1

United States