Minimum Wage in Bulgaria Will Be €620.20 from 1 January 2026.

The minimum wage will be BGN 1,213 (EUR 620.20) from 1 January 2026, the government decided. Its amount will rise by 12.6% or by 136 leva compared to its current value. The minimum hourly wage will reach BGN 7.31 (EUR 3.74).

The Bulgarian government has approved an increase in the national minimum wage to 1,213 leva (€620.20), effective from 1 January 2026. The new rate represents a 12.6% rise, or 136 leva more than the current amount. The minimum hourly wage will also increase to 7.31 leva (€3.74).

The measure was adopted together with the 2026 draft State Budget.

The higher minimum wage is expected to raise the earnings of around 600,000 people. According to the National Statistical Institute, approximately 456,700 full-time employees were earning the minimum wage in the second quarter of 2025.

The increase will also boost the pay of around 83,000 personal assistants who care for children and adults with disabilities, as well as nearly 30,000 employees in state-funded social services, professional foster families, and those working under employment programmes financed from the budget.

The new rate was set in accordance with Bulgaria’s Labour Code and aligns with one of the reference indicators for adequate minimum wages under the EU Directive on Minimum Wages, which recommends that the minimum wage should be at least 50% of the gross average wage.

Officials say the increase will help reduce in-work poverty, strengthen purchasing power, and stimulate consumption among lower-income groups. The proposed level of 1,213 leva reflects current projections for GDP growth and labour market trends in Bulgaria.