Cyprus recorded an average monthly full-time salary of €2,203, placing it below the EU benchmark of €3,155 but still above the €2,000 mark.

The figures, based on 2023 Eurostat data, highlight a sharp divide in earnings across the bloc, from €1,125 in Bulgaria to €6,755 in Luxembourg.

Western and Northern European countries continue to dominate the upper end of the pay scale.

Apart from Luxembourg, Denmark was the only other EU country where average salaries exceeded €5,000, offering €5,634.

Ireland (€4,890) and Belgium (€4,832) followed closely, while Austria (€4,542), Germany (€4,250) and Finland (€4,033) also posted monthly earnings above €4,000.

Around ten member states reported average salaries below €2,000. Poland remained just above €1,500, while Romania, Greece and Hungary hovered closer to €1,400.

Bulgaria recorded the lowest figure among EU countries with available data.

Among the bloc’s largest economies, Germany led with €4,250, followed by France (€3,555).

Both Italy (€2,729) and Spain (€2,716) remained more than €400 below the EU average.

When adjusted for purchasing power standards (PPS), which account for national price level differences, the salary gap narrowed but remained pronounced.

In PPS terms, average wages ranged from €1,710 in Greece to €4,479 in Luxembourg, with the EU average still at €3,155.

Belgium (€4,038), Denmark (€3,904), Germany (€3,898) and Austria (€3,851) ranked among the top five after PPS adjustment.

Cyprus again remained below the EU average with a salary of €2,317 in PPS.

Romania and Turkey improved their rankings significantly under PPS, compared to their nominal earnings.

Outside the EU, Switzerland topped the organisation for economic cooperation and development (OECD) comparisons with the highest salary overall, €8,104 in nominal terms and €4,412 in PPS.

Sotiria Theodoropoulou of the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) linked these disparities to productivity levels.

“Economies with more industrial or financial activity tend to be more productive,” she said, adding that high-tech industries also play a key role.

She noted that collective bargaining systems and supportive labour market policies help ensure productivity gains are reflected in workers’ pay.

Between 2018 and 2023, wages rose in every EU country. Across the bloc, the average increase reached €507 per month, equivalent to €6,708 annually, marking a 19 per cent rise.

Cyprus outperformed the EU average with a 23 per cent increase over the same period.

Wage growth in the largest EU economies was more subdued. Spain saw a 19 per cent rise, Germany 18 per cent, France 14 per cent and Italy just 10 per cent. Sweden posted the smallest increase, at only 4 per cent.

Lithuania experienced the sharpest increase in wages, with a 102 per cent jump that added €1,141 to its monthly average.

Luxembourg recorded the highest nominal gain, adding €1,291 per month.

By contrast, Greece saw the smallest increase since 2018, with just €91 added.

Eurostat is expected to publish the updated 2024 wage figures at the end of 2025.