From gross pay to take-home: The real salary picture across Europe

When talking astir your net successful Europe, do you mention to nan gross magnitude aliases nan nett figure? It's an important favoritism arsenic take-home salary tin alteration importantly from 1 state to another.

The main reasons for these differences are variations successful taxation and societal information contributions. In immoderate countries, family allowances besides person a sizeable impact.

So, wherever do workers return location nan astir salary crossed Europe? And really overmuch of your gross net do you support aft taxes and deductions? 

The reply mostly depends connected whether you person limited children and if your partner earns an income. In respective countries, this tin make you eligible for family allowances aliases moreover taxation refunds. With this successful mind, Euronews has examined 3 emblematic scenarios for 2024.

These scenarios are based connected individuals earning 100% of nan mean nationalist wage. For those earning much aliases little than nan average, nan take-home ratio will disagree accordingly.

Net net correspond nan magnitude a personification aliases family keeps aft subtracting taxes and worker societal information contributions from gross pay, and adding immoderate family benefits for limited children.

1. Single earner without children

In 2024, according to Eurostat, a azygous personification without children successful nan EU takes home, connected average, 68.6% of their gross salary. This intends that if nan mean net successful your state is €1,000, you support €686, while €314 goes to taxes and societal information contributions.

Among 31 countries—including each EU personnel states positive Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, and Turkey—the take-home salary ratio (annual nett net arsenic a percent of gross earnings) ranged from conscionable 60.3% successful Belgium to 84.4% successful Cyprus.

Take-home ratio is little than two-thirds successful 7 countries

Seven countries offered little than two-thirds of gross salary arsenic take-home income. Besides Belgium, they included: Lithuania (61.8%), Germany (62.6%), Romania (63.1%), Denmark (64.3%), Slovenia (64.4%) and Hungary (66.5%). 

Best countries for take-home pay

In 10 countries, workers tin return location astatine slightest three-quarters (75%) of their gross earnings, making them nan champion places successful Europe for higher nett pay.

The ratio exceeds 80% successful Cyprus and Switzerland. Other countries connected nan database see Estonia (79.5%), Czechia (79%), Bulgaria (77.6%), Spain (77.5%), Sweden (76.9%), Slovakia and Poland (both 75.9%), and Portugal (75%).

By comparison, nan take-home complaint is 71.9% successful France and 69.6% successful Italy.

2. One-earner mates pinch 2 children

For one-earner couples pinch 2 children, take-home salary ratios displacement importantly successful immoderate countries, while successful others they enactment adjacent to nan level for azygous individuals without children.

Across nan EU, nan mean take-home complaint is 82.6%, ranging from 70.4% successful Romania to 107.1% successful Slovakia, followed by 102.5% successful Poland. In these 2 countries, nett net really transcend gross earnings. This is not only owed to family allowances but besides nan implementation of a “negative income tax,” which provides other financial support and reflects beardown family-friendly policies.

The ratio is besides supra 90% successful Switzerland, Czechia, Luxembourg, and Portugal. At nan little end, speech from Romania, it falls beneath 75% successful Turkey, Denmark, and Finland.

The largest increases compared to azygous individuals without children were seen successful Slovakia (+31.2 percent points), Poland (+26.6 pp), Luxembourg (+22.4 pp), and Belgium (+19.8 pp).

The complaint remained unchanged successful Turkey, while nan smallest increases were recorded successful Greece (+2.4 pp), Cyprus (+4.3 pp), Finland (+4.6 pp), Norway (+4.8 pp), and Sweden (+5.9 pp).

3. Two-earner mates pinch 2 children

On average, a two-earner mates pinch 2 children successful nan EU takes location 73.6% of their gross earnings, pinch nan complaint ranging from 65.8% successful Belgium to 88.9% successful Slovakia.

Compared to azygous individuals without children, nan take-home complaint remains unchanged successful Turkey and Greece. The highest summation was recorded successful Slovakia, astatine 13 percent points.

In only 8 countries, nan emergence exceeded 5 percent points, suggesting that family allowances for households pinch children often do not lead to a important boost successful take-home pay.

Actual net figures

Would you beryllium much willing successful existent net figures alternatively than conscionable ratios?

In 2024, successful nan EU, a azygous personification without children earning 100% of nan mean net takes location €29,573 retired of a gross €43,105. 

Switzerland is an outlier successful some gross and nett salaries, pinch figures exceeding €100,000 and €85,000 respectively. 

In this scenario, yearly nett net exceeded €50,000 successful Iceland and Luxembourg, while Bulgaria (€11,074) and Turkey (€11,440) recorded nan lowest nett salaries.

In 5 further countries, nett net surpassed nan €40,000 mark, including nan Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, and Austria.

Annual nett net for a one-earner mates pinch 2 children ranged from €11,440 successful Turkey to €98,835 successful Switzerland, while nan EU mean was €35,656.

In nan two-earner mates pinch 2 children scenario, nett net aliases salaries ranged from €22,880 successful Turkey to €178,553 successful Switzerland, pinch nan EU mean astatine €63,523.

All these existent figures besides bespeak nan level of income inequality crossed Europe. For a elaborate comparison of yearly nett earnings—including purchasing powerfulness standards—across Europe, cheque retired our afloat article, entitled: "Top earners successful Europe"

How did existent wages alteration successful 2024?

Curious astir really existent wages changed successful 2024 compared to 2023? Our article “Where Did Real Wages Rise and Fall nan Most successful Europe successful 2024?” takes a person look astatine nan shifts—adjusted for inflation.