As of 1 January 2026, the state-set minimum monthly wage in Latvia will be increased from €740 to €780.
This is stipulated by amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers regulations “Regulations on the Amount of the Minimum Monthly Wage within Normal Working Hours and the Calculation of the Minimum Hourly Wage Rate”, adopted at the government meeting on Wednesday, 19 November.
Minister for Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks notes that “the increase in the minimum wage demonstrates the government’s commitment to gradually improving people’s living standards and reducing income inequality. It is an important signal for more than one hundred thousand people whose daily lives depend on minimum pay. At the same time, we continue working to ensure that the labour market remains sustainable and competitive, providing balanced support to both employees and employers.”
The adopted amendments apply to both employers and employees. According to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), in 2024 an average of 117,895 employees, or 15.3%, received the minimum wage or less. This was 4.1 percentage points lower than three years earlier, when 19.4% of employees earned the minimum wage or less.
Employers’ labour costs will increase for employees who are currently paid the minimum monthly wage within normal working hours (€740) or less, as well as for those whose monthly wage within normal working hours is below the new minimum monthly wage set by the amendments (€780).
According to CSB data, as of September 2025, 898.1 thousand people were employed in Latvia.