Estonia's minimum wage highest among eastern EU states
While monthly minimum wages are above €500 in western EU member states, they are generally well below this level in Eastern Europe, where Estonia recorded the highest minimum wage at the beginning of 2017.
The highest minimum wage in the EU were recorded in Luxembourg at €1,999 per month, with the lowest minimum wage in the union found in Bulgaria at €235 per month, it appears from data released by Eurostat.
With a minimum monthly wage of €470, Estonia placed ahead of other eastern EU countries but ranked below 12 EU member states. For example, the monthly minimum wage in Portugal, ranked just one place above Estonia, was €650.
Finland, Sweden and four other EU member states do not have national minimum wages. In Latvia and Lithuania, the monthly minimum wage falls below Estonia's at €380.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS