EU wages outpace food price gains, but some workers lose purchasing power

Food prices rose 34% across the EU between August 2021 and August 2026, with Hungary leading at 57% and Cyprus trailing at 21%. In the same period, minimum wages climbed 93% in Hungary, 46% in Germany, 29% in Spain and 20% in France, measured in local currencies.

The comparison shows that a minimum‑wage earner could buy 6% fewer baskets of food in Malta, 5% fewer in Spain and 4% fewer in France, while Serbia and Montenegro saw a 37% increase in purchasing power. Other countries with gains above 20% include Croatia, Albania, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria and Lithuania; Ireland, Germany, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal saw gains of 10%, 9%, 7%, 6%, 6% and 3% respectively.

Turkey stands out as an outlier, with food prices rising 752% and wages 823% over the same five‑year span, giving a net gain of 8% in purchasing power. Since January 2024, wages have consistently outpaced food prices, allowing workers to buy more food than at the start of the period.

Read the full story at euronews.com.