The 10 Highest National Minimum Wages Among Countries Reviewed in 2026
Ranked by the national hourly minimum wage for adults among the countries reviewed, converted to US dollars. See who leads, how close the top two are, and why the US federal minimum is not on the list.
Quick Answer
Luxembourg has the highest national minimum wage in this ranking at about $18.23 an hour (€16.02), or €2,771 a month. Australia is a close second at about $18.22 (A$26.44), and the Netherlands is third at about $17.06 (€14.99). Luxembourg's rate is about 2.5 times the US federal minimum of $7.25.
This ranking compares the hourly statutory minimum wage for adult workers in each country, using the rate in force in 2026 and converting it to US dollars at the European Central Bank's euro reference rates for July 1, 2026. Hourly rates are used because countries define full-time work differently. EU figures were checked against Eurostat's July 2026 minimum wage release, and non-European rates come from national sources. The ranking covers national or federal minimums only: it leaves out state, provincial, cantonal and city minimums, which can be higher, and countries that have no national minimum wage. It shows the pay floor, not what workers can buy with it.
Why is this not a ranking of who is best paid?
A minimum wage ranking in dollars depends on three things: the legal rate, the exchange rate and what counts as the national minimum. Luxembourg and Australia are separated by about $0.01 an hour at July 1, 2026 rates, so a different exchange-rate date could swap them. Several wealthy countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Italy, Norway and Switzerland, have no national statutory minimum wage and are not ranked, and some places inside larger countries pay more than their national rate. Dollar conversions also ignore local prices, taxes and the number of hours people actually work.
Hourly Minimum Wage · US$ at July 1, 2026 Exchange Rates
Source: National sources and Eurostat; ECB reference rates, July 1, 2026Tap any country to jump to its full breakdown below.
Ranked #10 to #1
Canada
Local rate: C$18.15 per hour (federal)- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $12.76
- Category:
- North America
- Revenue sources:
- About 76% above the US federal minimum
Canada's federal minimum wage rose from C$17.75 to C$18.15 on April 1, 2026, an increase of about 2.3%. It applies to federally regulated employers, such as banks, telecommunications and broadcasting companies and interprovincial transport. Where a province's minimum is higher, federally regulated employers must pay the higher rate.
Canada has no single minimum wage for all workers. Provinces and territories set their own, so the federal rate shown here is not what most Canadian workers are covered by.
Source: Government of Canada, federal minimum wage, April 2026
New Zealand
Local rate: NZ$23.95 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $13.58
- Category:
- Oceania
- Revenue sources:
- About 87% above the US federal minimum
New Zealand's adult minimum wage rose from NZ$23.50 to NZ$23.95 an hour on April 1, 2026, an increase of about 1.9%. A 40-hour week at that rate comes to NZ$958 before tax.
New Zealand's rate is about NZ$0.45 an hour higher than a year earlier, the smallest percentage rise among the rates updated in 2026 in this top 10.
Source: New Zealand Employment, minimum wage from April 1, 2026
France
Local rate: €12.31 per hour (SMIC)- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $14.01
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 93% above the US federal minimum
France's minimum wage, the SMIC, was raised to €12.31 an hour on June 1, 2026, which is €1,867.02 a month before tax for a 35-hour week. It had been €12.02 since January 1, 2026.
France raised its minimum wage twice in 2026: from €11.88 to €12.02 on January 1, and to €12.31 on June 1.
Source: French government (info.gouv.fr), SMIC 2026
Belgium
Local rate: €2,234 a month (about €13.57 per hour)- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $15.44
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 113% above the US federal minimum
Belgium sets its guaranteed minimum as a monthly amount for full-time work, and Eurostat's July 2026 figure is €2,234 a month. Dividing by a 38-hour week gives about €13.57 an hour, which is the figure converted here.
Belgium is the only country in this top 10 where the hourly figure is our conversion from a monthly rate, so it depends on the 38-hour week assumption.
Source: Eurostat, minimum wage statistics, July 2026
Germany
Local rate: €13.90 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $15.82
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 118% above the US federal minimum
Germany's statutory minimum wage is €13.90 an hour in 2026. Eurostat converts this to €2,343 a month using Germany's standard working week of about 38.8 hours.
Germany's monthly figure (€2,343) is lower than Ireland's (€2,391), but its hourly rate is lower too: €13.90 against €14.15.
Source: Eurostat, minimum wage statistics, July 2026
Ireland
Local rate: €14.15 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $16.11
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 122% above the US federal minimum
Ireland's national minimum wage for workers aged 20 and over rose from €13.50 to €14.15 an hour on January 1, 2026, an increase of about 4.8%. Eurostat gives the monthly equivalent as €2,391.
Ireland's monthly minimum (€2,391) is the second highest in the euro area in Eurostat's July 2026 figures, behind only Luxembourg (€2,771).
Source: Irish Government and Eurostat, 2026
United Kingdom
Local rate: £12.71 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $16.83
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 132% above the US federal minimum
The UK's National Living Wage is £12.71 an hour from April 1, 2026, for workers aged 21 and over. Younger workers have lower rates: £10.85 for ages 18 to 20 and £8.00 for ages 16 to 17 and apprentices.
The £12.71 rate is the only one in this top 10 that depends strongly on the worker's age: the rate for 18 to 20 year olds, £10.85, is about 15% lower.
Source: UK Government, National Living Wage, April 2026
Netherlands
Local rate: €14.99 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $17.06
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 135% above the US federal minimum
The Dutch statutory minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over rose from €14.71 to €14.99 an hour on July 1, 2026, an increase of about 1.9%. Eurostat gives the monthly equivalent as €2,338.
The Netherlands adjusts its minimum wage twice a year, on January 1 and July 1, so its dollar rank can change within a year.
Source: Netherlands Enterprise Agency (business.gov.nl), July 2026
Australia
Local rate: A$26.44 per hour- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $18.22
- Category:
- Oceania
- Revenue sources:
- About 151% above the US federal minimum
Australia's national minimum wage rose about 6% to A$26.44 an hour on July 1, 2026, or A$1,004.90 a week, after the Fair Work Commission's annual review. It is the highest national minimum wage among the non-European countries in this ranking.
The national minimum wage applies to employees not covered by an award or enterprise agreement; many Australian workers are paid under awards that set their own, often higher, minimum rates. At July 1, 2026 exchange rates, Australia is about $0.01 an hour behind Luxembourg.
Source: Fair Work Commission, Annual Wage Review 2026
Luxembourg
Local rate: €16.02 per hour (€2,771 a month)- Minimum wage per hour (US$):
- $18.23
- Category:
- Europe
- Revenue sources:
- About 152% above the US federal minimum
Luxembourg's social minimum wage for unskilled workers aged 18 and over is €16.0192 an hour, or €2,771.33 a month, from June 1, 2026. It is adjusted automatically with wage indexation and is the highest monthly minimum wage in the EU in Eurostat's July 2026 figures.
Luxembourg's minimum wage is about 4.5 times Bulgaria's, the lowest in the EU at €620 a month.
Source: PwC Luxembourg, social parameters June 2026; Eurostat
What the numbers tell us
Luxembourg's national minimum is about 2.5 times the US federal minimum, and Canada's federal rate in tenth place, $12.76, is still about 76% higher. The top two, Luxembourg and Australia, are separated by about one cent, so the order depends on the exchange-rate date. Many US states and some cities set minimums above the federal rate, and they are not counted here because this ranking uses national rates only.
- Data period:
- Rates in force in 2026; exchange rates from July 1, 2026
- Last updated:
- October 12, 2026
- Sources:
- Eurostat (minimum wage statistics, July 2026), PwC Luxembourg (social parameters, June 2026), Netherlands Enterprise Agency, French government (info.gouv.fr), Irish Government (gov.ie), Ibec (Ireland), UK Government, Fair Work Commission and ABC News (Australia), New Zealand Employment, Government of Canada (federal minimum wage), European Central Bank (euro reference rates, July 1, 2026)
- Source links:
- Eurostat: Minimum wage statistics
- UK Government: National Living Wage rises to £12.71
- New Zealand Employment: minimum wage from April 1, 2026
- Luxembourg Inspectorate of Labour and Mines: minimum wage from June 1, 2026
- French government: SMIC revalued June 1, 2026
- Netherlands Enterprise Agency: minimum wage July 2026
- ABC News: Australia's 2026 minimum wage decision
- Government of Canada: federal minimum wage raised April 1, 2026
- Irish Government: National Minimum Wage from January 1, 2026
- Ibec: Ireland's minimum wage rises to €14.15 on January 1, 2026
- ECB: euro reference rates, July 1, 2026 (PDF)
Countries are ranked by the national hourly statutory minimum wage for adult workers, converted to US dollars at the European Central Bank's euro foreign exchange reference rates for July 1, 2026 (USD 1.1383, GBP 0.85973, AUD 1.6518, NZD 2.0069, CAD 1.6191 and KRW 1773.57 per euro). Hourly rates are the rates in force at that date, including those that took effect earlier in 2026. Belgium's minimum is set monthly, so its hourly figure is Eurostat's July 2026 monthly amount (€2,234) divided by a 38-hour week. The ranking covers national or federal minimums for the countries checked: the European countries in Eurostat's July 2026 release, plus Australia, Canada (federal rate), New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States (federal rate, $7.25) and South Korea (₩10,320 an hour, about $6.62). Other countries were not systematically compared, and Japan sets its minimums by prefecture. Subnational minimums such as US states, Canadian provinces and Swiss cantons are excluded, as are countries with no national minimum wage and lower rates for young or training workers. Dollar conversions use a single date, so rankings with close values, such as Luxembourg and Australia, can change with the exchange rate. The figures compare legal pay floors, not purchasing power or take-home pay.
Figures marked as estimates are based on publicly available information and may vary from other published sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Luxembourg, at about $18.23 an hour (€16.02, or €2,771 a month) at July 1, 2026 exchange rates. Australia is about one cent behind at $18.22 (A$26.44), so the two are effectively tied.