Minimum wage in 2027: rates and forecasts in eight countries

Has the 2027 minimum wage already been set in every country?

No. As of 26 October 2026, the picture is mixed: some increases have already been set, some figures have been announced in budget proposals, others are technical forecasts, and some countries have no confirmed 2027 amount in the official sources collected here. Germany already has a legal rate for January. Portugal has announced a 2027 reference figure, and Brazil has published a budget estimate. These situations are not equivalent.

This comparison covers the eight countries shown in the table. All figures are gross, in the local currency, and apply to the scope described. A “global minimum wage” is not a single international wage: each system has its own units, bands and rules. An update published after this date may change forecasts and amounts that have not yet been set.

Comparison table: what is confirmed and what is a forecast?

The table distinguishes the floor in force in 2026 from the information available for 2027. Where the cited sources do not confirm a definitive new amount, that absence is stated rather than turning a political demand or an expectation into a legal rate. With hourly rates, monthly pay depends on paid hours.

In the US, the federal figure does not automatically represent the minimum in every state and city. In Italy, the absence of a single national rate does not mean there is no wage protection: collective agreements play a central role. In Portugal and Spain, the number of annual payments must also be considered before comparing them with countries that publish a monthly equivalent over twelve months.

Gross minimum wages: information checked on 26 October 2026
Country / scope	2026 reference	Information for 2027	Status
Portugal — mainland	€920/month	€970/month	Announced in proposed 2027 State Budget
Brazil — national	R$ 1621/month	R$ 1741/month	Budget Bill estimate; not definitive
United Kingdom — 21+	£12.71/hour from April	£13.18/hour; range £13.02–13.34	LPC projection published in April
US — federal	US$ 7.25/hour	No new federal increase confirmed	Current floor; states may exceed it
Spain — SMI	€1221 × 14 payments	No definitive amount confirmed	Await official decision
Italy	No single national floor	No single national rate	Check applicable collective agreement
France — general reference	€12.31/hour; €1,867.02/month at 35 hours	No definitive amount confirmed	Statutory reviews may change the amount
Germany — statutory floor	€13.90/hour	€14.60/hour from January	Already set by regulation

Portugal: what minimum wage is expected for 2027?

The Portuguese Government announced 970 euros a month for 2027 in the context of the State Budget proposal presented in October 2026. This should be described as an announced figure, without confusing the budget proposal with the decree setting the guaranteed minimum monthly remuneration. For 2026, the mainland rate is set at 920 euros.

If 970 euros is confirmed, the difference will be 50 euros, or about 5.43%, compared with 2026. The 2025 minimum was 870 euros. These are gross figures; take-home pay depends on contribution and tax rules and the worker’s circumstances. The Azores and Madeira have regional arrangements, so the mainland figure should not be presented as covering every case.

Portugal: how do holiday and Christmas allowances fit in?

For a full year with entitlement to two full allowances, a base of 970 euros would correspond to 13,580 euros annually, before deductions and without other components. Dividing that sum by twelve gives approximately 1,131.67 euros. This is an annualised equivalent for comparison, not a new legal monthly base salary.

Payment timing and proportional entitlements also matter. Someone starting or ending a contract during the year may not receive the same amounts as someone who worked the whole year. Meal allowance, bonuses and night work should be identified separately. To compare two offers, ask for the base, additional components and estimated annual total rather than looking only at one month’s bank transfer.

Brazil: will the 2027 minimum wage be R$ 1741?

The 2027 Budget Bill, presented on 31 August 2026, estimates the minimum wage at R$ 1741. This is a forecast, still subject to final calculation and determination. The earlier estimate of R$ 1717 appeared in April’s budget guidelines bill and should not be repeated as though it were the most recent reference.

The national rate for 2026 is R$ 1621, and the 2025 rate was R$ 1518. If the R$ 1741 estimate is confirmed, the increase over 2026 will be R$ 120, approximately 7.40%. This calculation does not pre-empt the final decree. The wage figure should not be confused with take-home income or with specific rules for other payments that use the minimum wage as a reference.

United Kingdom: what is the forecast for April 2027?

In April 2026, the Low Pay Commission published a central projection of £13.18 an hour for the National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over, with a range of £13.02 to £13.34. The projection is provisional technical guidance, not an already approved 2027 rate. The figure depends on the subsequent recommendation and decision process.

Since 1 April 2026, the legal rate for those aged 21 and over has been £12.71 an hour, compared with £12.21 in April 2025. The UK timetable usually changes in April: a reference to “2026/27” does not mean the same rate applies to every month of the 2027 calendar year. Confirmation of £13.18 would represent about 3.70% above £12.71.

United Kingdom: age, apprentices and the voluntary living wage

The April 2026 rates are £10.85 an hour for 18- to 20-year-olds and £8 for covered workers under 18 and eligible apprentices. The apprentice rate applies to those under 19 or to those aged 19 and over in their first year of an apprenticeship. After that first year, those aged 19 and over receive the rate for their age.

Do not confuse the statutory National Living Wage with the voluntary Real Living Wage. The latter may appear in advertisements by participating employers but does not replace the Government’s legal table. Anyone searching for the “minimum wage in England” should check the UK rate applicable to their age, status and period, without multiplying an adult rate by hours their contract does not guarantee.

United States: will there be a federal increase in 2027?

The federal floor remains $7.25 an hour for covered workers, a rate in force since 24 July 2009. No approved federal increase for 2027 was identified in the official sources collected up to 26 October 2026. That does not mean every American worker receives that amount or that no minimum wage will rise in the new year.

States and local authorities may have higher floors. An employer subject to more than one rule must comply with the applicable protection, not freely choose the lower rate. In Connecticut, for example, the state government announced $17.48 an hour from 1 January 2027, compared with $16.94 in 2026. This is a confirmed state example, not a new minimum for the whole US.

Spain: what is the reference rate, and has a 2027 figure been approved?

The 2026 interprofessional minimum wage is set at 1221 euros a month in 14 payments, or 17,094 euros a year. In 2025, the reference was 1184 euros a month. The 2026 increase was therefore 37 euros per payment, about 3.1%. Proportionality rules must be considered for part-time work.

As of this article’s date, the cited official sources have not confirmed a definitive 2027 amount. Trade union demands or negotiating scenarios should not be announced as a decision. To compare Spain’s 2026 minimum with a twelve-payment system, the annualised equivalent is 1,424.50 euros a month. This does not change the legal base of 1221 euros in 14 payments.

Italy: why is there no single national amount in the table?

Italy does not have a single statutory national minimum wage comparable to Portugal’s or Spain’s SMI. Wage protection involves, among other mechanisms, sectoral collective bargaining. In October 2026, the Italian Ministry of Labour again highlighted the role of agreements signed by representative organisations. It would therefore be inaccurate to invent a national 2027 figure simply to fill a table.

When evaluating an offer, identify the applicable collective agreement, sector, category, level and pay components. A political proposal for an hourly rate does not, by itself, amount to a law in force. It is also misleading to conclude that the absence of a statutory national floor leaves an employer free of any pay obligations.

France: what is the current SMIC, and what is known about 2027?

The SMIC was updated on 1 June 2026 to 12.31 euros gross an hour and 1,867.02 euros gross a month on the reference basis of 35 hours a week. January 2026’s rate of 12.02 euros an hour is no longer the latest reference for that year. In 2025, the rate was 11.88 euros, with 1,801.80 euros a month on the stated basis.

The general table has territorial and category exceptions, including Mayotte and specific arrangements for young people and apprentices. No definitive 2027 amount is confirmed here. The SMIC is reviewed annually in January and may be increased during the year when legal price-related conditions are met. Extrapolating a fixed percentage therefore does not produce an official rate.

Germany: has the 2027 minimum of 14.60 euros already been approved?

Yes. The fifth adjustment regulation provides for 13.90 euros gross an hour from 1 January 2026 and 14.60 euros from 1 January 2027. The 2025 rate was 12.82 euros. The increase already set for 2027 is 70 cents an hour, approximately 5.04% compared with the 2026 rate of 13.90 euros.

This is an hourly rate, not a universal monthly salary. To estimate pay, use paid working hours and check the contract and any higher sectoral minimum. An old article still treating 14.60 euros as merely a proposal has been superseded by the subsequent regulation. The date and nature of the measure matter as much as the announced number.

How should monthly, hourly and annual pay be compared?

First put figures on the same basis: gross with gross, contracted hours with contracted hours and annual remuneration with annual remuneration. To estimate pay from an hourly rate with a stable weekly schedule, multiply the rate by hours per week and by 52, then divide by twelve. This is approximate and does not replace rules on holidays, paid hours, supplements or the particular contract.

Then assess taxes and contributions. A higher minimum in a foreign currency does not automatically mean higher take-home pay in euros or reais. Eurostat comparisons adjust additional payments onto comparable bases and also analyse purchasing power. The exchange rate alone does not measure what remains after rent, food and transport.

Does a higher minimum always improve purchasing power?

A nominal increase is the difference in monetary value. The real gain also depends on inflation and changes in expenses. As a purely mathematical example, a rise of 5% with prices 3% higher corresponds to an approximate real gain of 1.94%, calculated as 1.05 divided by 1.03, minus one. Subtracting the percentages gives only an approximation.

Each budget experiences different prices: rent in one city may rise faster than the national average. To plan a move or negotiate a contract, use the minimum as a legal reference and build a budget with local costs. Do not base loan repayments on an increase that is still projected. Confirm the official measure and its effective date before treating a forecast as guaranteed income.

Frequently asked questions

Is Portugal’s 2027 minimum wage definitively 970 euros?

The Government announced that amount in the context of the proposed 2027 State Budget. In this article, with a reference date of 26 October 2026, it is treated as announced, separately from the final decree setting the rate.

Is Brazil’s projected minimum R$ 1717 or R$ 1741?

The August 2026 Budget Bill estimate is R$ 1741. R$ 1717 belonged to the earlier April forecast. The final amount still requires confirmation.

Which is the only national 2027 increase already set in this table?

Germany has set 14.60 euros gross an hour for January 2027. The table also discusses an already announced state increase in the US, in Connecticut.

Has the United Kingdom already approved £13.18 an hour?

That is not the status of the information presented. It is the central projection published by the Low Pay Commission in April 2026 for the rate applying to those aged 21 and over.

Is the US minimum wage the same in every state?

No. The federal floor coexists with state and local rates, many of which are higher. Check the rules applicable to the location and worker.

Does Italy have no minimum pay rules?

It has wage protection and sectoral collective bargaining, but not one statutory national minimum wage that can be presented as a 2027 rate for everyone.

Is France’s figure of 1,823.03 euros still the latest 2026 reference?

No. That was January’s monthly reference for 35 hours. Since June, the stated general reference is 1,867.02 euros gross, subject to the relevant arrangements.

Are the amounts in the table take-home figures?

No. They are gross. The money received depends on contributions, taxes, pay components and the rules applicable to each situation.

Why are Portugal and Spain shown with 14 payments?

Additional payments affect annual comparisons. Dividing the total by twelve helps comparison but does not turn that equivalent into the legal monthly base salary.

Does a minimum wage rise increase my above-minimum salary by the same percentage?

A universal proportional rise should not be assumed. Changes to your pay may depend on the contract, collective agreement or applicable decision, as well as compliance with legal minimums.