The minimum wage in Croatia is set to rise again from the start of 2027, with the final decision to be made by the end of October, according to the deputy prime minister and minister of finance, Tomislav Ćorić. The exact amount has not yet been revealed, but the increase is linked to continued relatively high inflation.
The decision was linked to the ongoing high inflation. "The conditions we have experienced in the economy over the past year suggest that the minimum wage should increase. How much, we will leave until the end of the month," Ćorić said at a press conference at the Ministry of Finance. He added that the minimum wage for 2027 would rise so that the increase in inflation would not lead to a decline in the standard of living for those on minimum wage. "Given this, people in Croatia earning the minimum wage deserve for their wage to be adjusted, so that there is no significant drop in their standard of living," he said.
The announcement followed the first estimate by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics on the trend of inflation in September, published today. Ćorić stated that the average inflation for the whole of 2026 could end up above four percent, while the Croatian Bureau of Statistics had estimated annual inflation at 4.1 percent for August. The minimum wage amount, he noted, would depend on the results of further analysis.
The minimum wage for 2026 is 1,050 euros per month, while last year it was 970 euros. According to government data, the minimum wage has increased by 50 percent in just three years. The government has set a target of a minimum wage of 1,250 euros by 2028.
The government decides on the minimum wage by decree, no later than 31 October. Prior to the decision, the government considers proposals and economic indicators from a committee comprising representatives of trade unions, employers, and the government. The exact amount of the minimum wage for 2027 has not yet been published.
The government is also set to present a revision of this year's state budget next week. When asked about unconfirmed reports that the annual allowance for pensioners might be 8 euros per year, he stated that he was not familiar with such information. The government must also decide on the value of one year of pension insurance for the annual allowance during October. In the preparations for the period from 2027 to 2029, the government has previously forecast that budget expenditure in 2027 would be 31.3 billion euros.
