Almost 9 out of 10 public sector employees in Greece will receive annual salary increases this year—ranging from 30% to 80% of last year’s monthly wage—following the government’s recent announcement of a new minimum wage hike. An across-the-board gross increase of €40 per month will begin being paid from late April, but will also apply retroactively from the start of the month.
Financial Impact and Scope
The Ministry of National Economy and Finance estimates the immediate benefit of this measure at €358 million. Combined with other ongoing tax adjustments and salary changes effective since 1 January, total net income for public employees is projected to rise by approximately €1 billion in 2026 compared to 2025.
Who Benefits—and How Much?
Nearly all public sector workers—including those not on the lowest pay grade—will see raises. On an annual basis, these translate to at least one additional month’s salary ‘in the pocket’, with some receiving up to a full extra salary compared to what they earned last year. The largest gains are expected for employees with children and newly hired staff with limited years of service.
Of the roughly 850,000 public sector employees, at least 720,000 will receive these increases. In contrast, over 100,000 workers employed under project-based contracts—not governed by the official public sector pay scale—will receive no raise at all.
35th Increase Since 2023
This latest adjustment marks the 35th permanent salary increase for public employees since wages were unfrozen in 2023. Over the four-year period from 2023 to 2026, cumulative annual salary growth is projected to reach €3.3 billion, according to ministry data. Across the entire period, total additional earnings will exceed €7.8 billion—since each yearly increase becomes part of permanent base pay and compounds in subsequent years.
Comparison With 13th and 14th Salaries
Every raise inevitably invites comparison with the longstanding demand to reinstate the 13th and 14th salaries—benefits abolished in 2012. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance stresses that fiscal constraints and EU rules—including surplus targets through 2023 and annual limits on state spending growth starting in 2024—would have made it impossible to disburse €2.2 billion outright as two extra salaries in any single year. Nor could the 13th and 14th salaries (costing €2.2–€2.7 billion annually) be combined with the 35 post-2023 increases (adding €3.3 billion annually versus 2022 levels). Even after 14 years without pay raises, delivering such lump-sum payments was not fiscally feasible.