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Workers in the Czech Republic continue to earn significantly less than the EU average, according to new figures compiled by Euronews. Despite steady growth, Czech wages remain far behind Western European levels, though perform relatively well compared to Central and Eastern Europe.
Euronews calculated and compared the average gross annual salaries for full-time jobs using the latest (2023) Eurostat and OECD data. It then converted all local salaries to euros.
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How Czechia performs (and why)
The average gross monthly wage in the Czech Republic last year was EUR 1,955 (approximately CZK 48,000), placing the country 17th among the EU’s 27 member states. This compares to an EU-wide average of EUR 3,155 (around CZK 79,000).
The disparity in wages across the EU is rooted in structural and historical factors. Economies in Central and Eastern Europe, including Czechia, typically have lower labor productivity compared to Western countries, a legacy of post-communist transitions and slower capital accumulation.
“Economies with a developed industry, financial sector or high-tech industry tend to be more productive and therefore better reward their workers,” financial analyst Sotirie Theodoropoulou told Euronews. She also pointed to the role of collective bargaining, which is more prevalent and influential in countries with stronger labor unions, contributing to higher wages.
How other European countries compare
At the top of the ranking, Luxembourg reported the highest average wage, at EUR 6,755 (CZK 169,000), followed by Denmark (the equivalent of CZK 140,500) and Ireland (CZK 121,947). Other high-income countries included Belgium (CZK 120,495), Austria (CZK 113,264), and Germany (EUR 105,986).
At the lower end, Bulgaria recorded the lowest nominal wage at CZK 28,000. In total, 10 EU countries—including Romania, Hungary, Greece, and Poland—reported average gross wages below EUR 2,000 (CZK 49,881) per month.
Czechia ranked ahead of several regional peers, including Slovakia, Latvia, and Croatia, but lagged just behind Portugal.
When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP)—which accounts for differences in the cost of living—the gap narrows, but jobs Czechia still ranked only 18th in the EU, with an adjusted wage of EUR 2,322 (CZK 58,000).
In PPP terms, Luxembourg remained first (EUR 4,479), followed by Belgium (EUR 4,038), Denmark (EUR 3,904), and Germany (EUR 3,898). Greece ranked lowest in this adjusted metric, just behind Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Hungary.
On a more positive note, Czechia registered the sixth-largest jump in its average full-time adjusted salary between 2018 and 2023, rising a substantial 45 percent.
Latest official data shows that in 2024 employees nationwide got a 7-percent increase in their average gross monthly wages, with the country’s average salary now at CZK 46,165 (CZK 57,232 in Prague). Economists predict that real wage growth will continue in 2025, though at a smaller pace than last year.
