In 2022, the average hourly wages and salaries in the whole economy were estimated to be €22.9 in the EU and €25.5 in the euro area. Compared with 2021, they increased by 4.4% in the EU and by 4.0% in the euro area, Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union says.
Within the euro area, hourly wages and salaries grew among all members. They increased the least in Italy, Malta and Finland (+2.3% each) and the most in Lithuania (+13.4%), Estonia (+8.8%) and Croatia (+8.7%).
For EU countries outside the euro area, the hourly wages and salaries expressed in national currency also increased in all countries. They increased the least in Denmark (+2.2%) and Sweden (+3.0%) and the most in Hungary (+16.4%), Bulgaria (+15.5%), Romania (+12.3%) and Poland (+11.7%).
Breakdown by economic activity
In 2022, compared with 2021, hourly wages and salaries in the euro area rose by 2.9% in the (mainly) non-business economy and by 4.4% in the business economy: +3.9% in industry, +4.9% in construction and +4.5% in services. In the EU, hourly wages and salaries grew by 3.2% in the (mainly) non-business economy and by 4.9% in the business economy: +4.6% in industry, +5.2% in construction and +5.0% in services.
In the EU, the economic activities that recorded the highest annual increases in hourly wages and salaries in 2022 were: NACE Rev. 2 section B – ‘Mining and quarrying’ (+9.6%), followed by NACE Rev. 2 sections M – ‘Professional, scientific and technical activities’ (+6.4%), D – ‘Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply’ and K – ‘Financial and insurance activities’ (both +5.6%).
