Labour costs in the European Union averaged EUR 34.9 per hour in 2025, and EUR 38.2 per hour in the euro area, according to the latest data from Eurostat.
For comparison, average hourly labour costs in 2024 stood at EUR 33.5 in the EU and EUR 36.8 in the euro area.
Significant differences persist among EU Member States. Bulgaria recorded the lowest labour costs, averaging EUR 12 per hour, followed by Romania (EUR 13.6) and Hungary (EUR 15.2).
The highest labour costs were registered in Luxembourg (EUR 56.8 per hour), Denmark (EUR 51.7) and the Netherlands (EUR 47.9).
Eurostat divides labour costs into two main components: wages and salaries, and non-wage costs, which include employers’ contributions to health, pension and social security systems.
The share of non-wage costs in total labour costs stood at 24.8% in the EU and 25.6% in the euro area.
The lowest shares of non-wage costs were recorded in Romania (4.8%), Lithuania (5.5%) and Malta (5.8%), while the highest were in France (32.3%), Sweden (31.7%) and Slovakia (28.6%).
In 2025, hourly labour costs for the whole economy increased by 4.1% in the EU and by 3.8% in the euro area compared with 2024.
Within the euro area, labour costs rose in all countries except Malta (down 0.5%). The largest increases were recorded in Bulgaria (13.1%), Croatia (11.6%), Slovenia (9.3%) and Lithuania (9.2%).
The smallest increases were observed in Spain, Cyprus and Luxembourg (3.5% each), followed by Italy (3.2%) and France (2.0%).
Among EU countries outside the euro area, hourly labour costs expressed in national currency increased in all countries, with the highest growth in Romania (10.6%), Hungary (8.9%) and Poland (8.8%), and the lowest in Denmark (3.0%).