The minimum wage will be 1213 BGN (620.20 euros) from January 1, 2026. Its amount will increase by 12.6% or by 136 BGN compared to its current value. This is provided for in the draft Decree of the Council of Ministers prepared by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP), which has been published for public discussion. From January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly wage will be 7.31 BGN (3.74 euros).
The higher minimum wage will increase the incomes of nearly 600,000 people. According to data from the National Statistical Institute, those employed at a minimum basic wage under an employment contract and working full-time as of the second quarter of 2025 are about 456,700 people. The increase in the minimum wage will increase the pay of about 83,000 personal assistants who care for children and adults with disabilities by 12.6%. The salaries of nearly 30,000 workers in social services that are financed by the state will also increase. The salaries of all workers under employment programs and measures financed by the state budget and of professional foster families will also increase.
At the initiative of Minister Borislav Gutsanov, the MLSP resumed the dialogue with the nationally representative organizations of employers and trade unions to develop a mechanism for determining the minimum wage. During the year, numerous meetings were held with the social partners in order to find the most correct and balanced solution for its improvement. Although some convergence of positions is noted, they did not reach an agreement on changing the mechanism for determining the minimum wage.
For this reason, the new minimum wage has been determined in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code. According to them, the minimum wage for the country for the next calendar year is determined at the rate of 50 percent of the average gross wage for the last two quarters of the previous year and the first two quarters of the current year. The minimum wage thus determined is in line with one of the possible reference values for assessing adequacy proposed by the Minimum Wages Directive - 50% of the gross average wage.
The higher minimum wage will contribute to reducing poverty among workers and will increase the purchasing power and consumption of the lowest-income groups in the labor market. The proposed amount of 1213 leva corresponds to the forecasts for the growth of the gross domestic product and the labor market in Bulgaria.
The project will be discussed in the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation with the national representative organizations of employers and trade unions. It will then be submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval by the government.