A comparison of average monthly wages in the region shows that Serbia had almost the lowest wages in the region for more hours spent at work
Employees in Serbia work more than almost all of their Balkan and European neighbors, and earn the least, according to the latest data Eurostat. The latest Eurostat data show that employees in Serbia worked an average of 40,6 hours a week in 2025, i.e. five to six hours more than the average in the countries Of the European Union, where 35,9 hours were worked. At the same time, Serbia earns the least, writes Marija Stankov for The new economy.
In Europe, only employees in Bosnia and Herzegovina worked more than workers in Serbia, 40,9 hours per week, while the average in Turkey is 42,4 hours.
Za full-time in Serbia, women worked an average of 40,8 hours and men 42,3 hours per week. For part-time work, men and women worked 21,2 hours per week.
The average monthly net salary in Serbia in 2025 amounted to 109.468 dinars, or 932 euros at the current exchange rate.
The average median net salary was 83.790 dinars, which means that half of the employees in Serbia earned this amount or less per month in 2025.
Economist Saลกa ฤogoviฤ explains for New Economy that labor productivity in Serbia is low, that is, due to the poor economic structure, most of the employees are in positions that are not very productive and pay little.
"If your employees need more time to earn what someone else can earn in fewer working hours, it is a sign that something is wrong. Labor productivity is low, the economic structure requires greater engagement of the workforce, and wages are lower," he explains, adding that a potential solution lies in strengthening domestic entrepreneurship and attracting high-tech investments.
A comparison of average monthly wages in the region in 2024 shows that Serbia had almost the lowest wages in the region, and that for more hours spent at work.
The most was earned in Slovenia, followed by Croatia, then Bulgaria and Hungary. The average annual salary in Croatia was about 1.457 euros per month, according to the data of the State Bureau of Statistics.
The average annual salary in Bulgaria in 2025 was 31.239 Bulgarian levs, or about 16.000 euros, which is about 1.331 euros per month, according to the data of the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria.
Employees in Hungary earned an average of HUF 486.800 per month in 2025, that is EUR 1.210 per month, Budapest Times reported.
Employees in North Macedonia earned less than workers in Serbia, their average monthly salary was MKD 45.227, or about EUR 735.
Employees in Serbia worked the most and earned the least in Europe in 2024, even four times less than the standard in the European Union.
In 2024, an average of 35,8 hours per week was worked in the European Union, and 41,2 hours per week in Serbia. In that year, employees in Serbia worked the most in Europe, even more than employees in BiH. Only in Turkey did they work more, 42,9 hours a week.
Eurostat data for the last available year show that the average annual salary in the European Union in 2024 was around 40.000 euros, while the annual salary in 2024 in Serbia was 1.177.716 dinars, or 10.070 euros at the current exchange rate. Which means that the standard of the European Union was almost four times higher.
Most Western European countries are above the European Union average, and the lowest average salaries are recorded in Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria with around 15.387 euros per year, followed by Hungary with around 18.461 euros and Greece with approximately 17.954 euros.
Earlier this year, Serbian President Aleksandar Vuฤiฤ criticized workers in Kraljevo for frequent sick days, i.e. insufficient work, claiming that this is why certain companies are leaving the city, Danas reported.
"Some companies have left or are leaving Kraljevo, because your sick leave rate is 22, 23 percent. Summer works come and it goes to 30 percent. When it's time to pick cherries, apricots, apples, everyone is sick," said Vuฤiฤ.
However, Eurostat data show that employees in Serbia work more hours per week than workers in any other European country.
Economist Saลกa ฤogoviฤ believes that a large number of low-paid jobs is not a solution for the growth of living standards. He adds that foreign companies often come to Serbia in search of cheaper labor, which is why they open mostly lower-paid jobs, such as jobs in cable production or the textile industry.
According to him, longer working hours in low-paid jobs cannot significantly increase citizens' earnings.
ฤogoviฤ believes that with the current structure of the economy, Serbia cannot reach the level of development of the European Union, but will continue to lag behind the European average.
"You can work more and more and earn only slightly more. The bottom line is to try to create more value with less work and generate more income," he concludes.
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