Brussels – Salaries in the European Union continue to rise, but Italy is struggling to keep pace. In 2025, the average gross annual pay for full-time employees reached €41,500 in the EU, up 4.3 per cent compared with €39,800 in 2024. In Italy, however, the average stood at €34,213, compared with €33,523 the previous year: an increase of just 2.1 per cent, less than half the European figure.
The latest figures published by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical office, confirm the difficulties facing the Italian labour market in terms of wages. The gap with the European average remains significant: in 2025, an Italian worker earned on average over €7,200 gross less than the EU average.
The situation is no better when compared with other Mediterranean countries. Spain, which had already overtaken Italy by 2024 with an average salary of €33,700 compared with Italy’s €33,523, is consolidating its lead. In 2025, Spanish salaries reached €35,125, representing an increase of around 4.2 per cent. Malta, too, with €35,003, ranks ahead of Italy, which is thus losing further ground in comparison with its southern European partners.
At the top of the European rankings are Luxembourg, with €85,600, Denmark (€73,500), and Ireland (€64,400). Belgium stands at €1,984, while Germany and France record €56,360 and €44,734, respectively. At the other end of the scale are Bulgaria (€16,200), Greece (€18,800), and Hungary (€20,100).
The figures also reveal a marked disparity between Member States: the average wage in Luxembourg is almost five times that in Bulgaria.
