What will be the minimum in 2027: Mali first promised 650 euros, then offered less than 600

On January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Serbia was increased by 10,1 percent. It was a regular increase in the so-called the minimum from 500 to 550 euros. Previously, the minimum wage was extraordinarily increased on October 1, 2025 to 337 dinars per working hour.

This would mean that workers will also receive a similar regular increase on January 1, 2026.

Although the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, constantly repeats that everyone is jealous of his fantastic economic successes, when the Serbian minimum is compared with the Slovenian and Croatian ones, you can see where Serbia is.

How much is enough?

The living wage, i.e. the wage that is sufficient to cover the basic social and existential needs of workers and their families, amounts to 154.740 dinars this year, the Center for Emancipation Policies announced today. It is claimed that the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage is narrowing year by year, but is still wide.

The current minimum wage is on average 65.000 dinars and covers 42 percent of what is enough for a decent life, according to the announcement. The Center says that 70.000 dinars is below the poverty risk threshold for a three-person household, which was 82.213 dinars last year.

"Although the legal framework dictates that the minimum income should guarantee a dignified life for working families, the reality is different - minimum wages keep people in poverty. That's why we need an assessment of the living wage and a development policy that will aim to provide everyone with dignified wages to live on, not survive," the statement said.

Why would anyone be "jealous" of Serbia

According to the last comparable publication of regional statistics, in August 2025, Slovenia had an average net salary of 1.562 euros, while the minimum wage for the entire year was 877 euros, plus allowances for meals during work, transportation and business travel expenses (in Serbia, the amount of the paid minimum wage is reduced for these items), according to Demostat.

Also, in Slovenia, employers are obliged to pay all workers an annual allowance, at least in the amount of one minimum wage, as well as a Christmas bonus of at least half of the lowest wage, which increases both average and minimum wages by at least 112 euros per month.

When it comes to expenses, in Slovenia, expenses for transportation and communication, as well as housing costs, are more dominant than food.

Employees in Croatia were paid an average of 1.446 euros for the month of August 2025, while the minimum wage was set for the entire year and amounted to 750 euros. A family of three spends 389 euros per month on food, which also includes basic hygiene products, which is 26,9 percent of the average salary.