Minimum wage in Slovenia
Information for this page was compiled during December 2025 and early 2026. Most Member States had already transposed the EU minimum wage directive at this point. Those that had not yet fully completed transposition or where the information was not yet publicly available include Bulgaria, Cyprus, Luxemburg, Poland and Portugal. These profiles will be updated consecutively as the information becomes available. Users are invited to contact our experts on minimum wage if they are aware of changes.
This profile describes how minimum wages are regulated and set in Slovenia. It can be read as background information for Eurofound’s annual review of minimum wage setting series. Slovenia has a statutory minimum wage (minimalna plača) that is generally applicable.
According to the Slovenian Minimum Wage Act (Articles 4 and 6), social partners (employers’ organisations and trade unions) must be consulted prior to setting the minimum wage and its annual indexation. Consultations usually take place within the established tripartite forum, the Economic and Social Council (ESS).
Employers’ organisations represented in the ESS are the Association of Employers of Slovenia (ZDS), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS), the Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (OZS), the Association of Employers in Craft and Small Business of Slovenia (ZDOPS), and the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce (TZS).
Trade unions represented in the ESS include the Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS), the Confederation of Trade Unions of Slovenia PERGAM, the Trade Union Confederation 90 of Slovenia, the Confederation of New Trade Unions of Slovenia - INDEPENDENCE, the Slovenian Association of Trade Unions - ALTERNATIVE, the Trade Unions of Slovenia SOLIDARITY, and the Confederation of Public Service Trade Unions of Slovenia (KSJS).
Consultations can also be held on an ad hoc basis at the invitation of the Ministry of Labour, not necessarily through the ESS (in which case, the invited social partners are usually ESS members).
In line with Article 6(5) of Directive (EU) 2022/2041 on adequate minimum wages, the Economic and Social Council (ESS) was formally designated in September 2024 as the consultative body responsible for advising on issues relating to statutory minimum wages for the purpose of implementing the Directive. This designation continued existing practice, as the ESS had already served as the main tripartite consultation forum, with no changes to its composition or rules of procedure.
The minimum wage level is determined with reference to the minimum costs of living. According to the Social Assistance Payments Act (ZSVarPre, Article 8), the ministry responsible for social welfare is required to determine the minimum cost of living using a comparable methodology at least every six years.
A comparable methodology was defined in 2009 in a survey on the minimum cost of living (Stropnik et al., 2009). It builds on previous research on the same topic, particularly research by Stanovnik and Stropnik (1998). It was subsequently applied again in 2017 (Stropnik et al., 2017). The methodology is based on Ernst Engel's law, which holds that household welfare can be inferred from the share of food expenditure in total household consumption (Stropnik, 1997). The most recent calculation of minimum living costs was carried out in 2025 and published in a report by the Institute for Economic Research (Kump et al., 2025).
The minimum wage is normally adjusted once a year. It is determined by the minister responsible for labour, after consultation with the social partners. While these consultations are legally required, their outcomes are not binding, as the minister may depart from the social partners’ proposals. The adjusted minimum wage is published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia no later than 31 January of the current year and applies retroactively to work performed from 1 January onwards.
Social Assistance Payments Actopens in new tab (ZSVarPre, Nos. 61/10, 40/11, 14/13, 99/13, 90/15, 88/16, 31/18, 73/18, 196/21 – ZDOsk, and 84/23 – ZDOsk-1)
Stanovnik, T. and Stropnik, N. (1998). Raziskava o minimalnih življenjskih stroških (Study on Minimum Costs of Living). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N. (1997). Revščina v Sloveniji: posledica ekonomske tranzicije (Poverty in Slovenia: A consequence of economic transition). Final report of a research project financed by the Research Support Scheme of the Higher Education Support Programme. Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N., Gregorič, M., Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M., Rozman, U., Bočkaj, B. and Dobrila, I. (2009). Minimalni življenjski stroški (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N., Gregorič, M., Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M., Robnik, M. and Švab, A. (2017). Minimalni življenjski stroški (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N. (2022). Minimalni življenjski stroškiPDFopens in new tab (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Kump, N., Bartolj, T., Gregorič, M., Škrlj, M., Fajdiga Turk, V., Valenčič, E., and Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M. (2025). Izračun minimalnih življenjskih stroškov: končno poročilo o izračunuPDFopens in new tab (Calculation of minimum living costs: final report). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
The statutory framework for minimum wage setting in Slovenia combines annual indexation to inflation with an explicit reference to minimum living costs.
The Minimum Wage Act stipulates that the gross minimum wage is set with reference to the minimum living costs. The net minimum wage must be set within a range of 120% to 140% of minimum living costs, which are calculated at least every six years. Besides, the Act provides that the minimum wage is adjusted annually at least in line with inflation of the previous year (December of the previous year / December of the year before that). Therefore, in addition to annual indexation to consumer prices, the minimum wage is also adjusted to ensure compliance with the minimum living costs criterion. The Act also allows consideration of overall wage trends, economic conditions or economic growth, and employment trends. However, these factors are not defined in a binding manner, nor is their consideration mandatory.
While indexation to inflation has been in place since the adoption of the Minimum Wage Act in 2010, the explicit reference to minimum living costs was introduced by amendments adopted in 2018 and has been in effect since 2021. No substantive changes to the minimum wage-setting have been introduced since then.
Criterion | How is this defined/operationalised? | Regulation or practice |
Growth in consumer prices | Year-on-year growth in consumer prices in December of the previous year. | Minimum Wage Act (Official Gazette, number 13/10, 92/15 in 83/18, art. 3(2) and 5). |
Overall wage growth | Not specifically defined | Minimum Wage Act (Official Gazette, number 13/10, 92/15 in 83/18, art. 3(2)). |
Economic conditions /economic growth | Not specifically defined | Minimum Wage Act (Official Gazette, number 13/10, 92/15 in 83/18, art. 3(2)). |
Employment growth | Not specifically defined | Minimum Wage Act (Official Gazette, number 13/10, 92/15 in 83/18, art. 3(2)). |
There is no single indicative numerical reference value used to assess adequacy. In Slovenia, the assessment of adequacy is primarily based on the calculation of minimum living costs, which constitute the main national indicator guiding minimum wage setting. For supportive and contextual purposes, benchmarks such as 60% of the median wage and 50% of the average wage may also be considered. However, these indicators are not binding and play a secondary role compared to minimum living costs.
The minimum wage applies to all employees with a formal employment contract, without exemptions. For part-time employees, the minimum wage is calculated proportionally.
The legislation provides for a single statutory minimum wage. There are no subminimum or higher rates that would apply to specific categories of employees. The minimum wage is the same for all full-time employees.
The minimum wage is the monthly amount paid to an employee working full-time under a formal employment contract. Full-time working time is generally set at 40 hours per week; however, a shorter working time (i.e. 36-39 hours) may be treated as equivalent to full-time where this is provided for by law or collective agreements. Employees are entitled to 12 monthly payments per year. In addition, the employers are legally required to pay a mandatory annual holiday allowance. The specific amounts for holiday allowances are determined by sectoral collective agreements; where these agreements provide higher amounts, employers must comply with those provisions. Pursuant to the Employment Relationship Act the holiday allowance may not be lower than the statutory minimum wage, and must be paid no later than 1 July of the current calendar year. As of December 2025, employees are entitled to a new statutory benefit – a winter allowance – set at 50% of the statutory minimum wage.
With the amendment to the Minimum Wage Act that took effect on 1 January 2016, the definition of the minimum wage has been updated. In addition to overtime pay, three extra add-ons related to unfavourable working time were explicitly excluded from the minimum wage; they do not count towards the minimum wage but must be paid on top of it. These extra payments were the night work allowance, the Sunday work allowance, and the allowance for work on public holidays and statutory days off. A further amendment, effective from 1 January 2020, excluded all remaining add-ons from the minimum wage definition. These allowances are determined by laws, other regulations, or collective agreements, as well as the performance-related component of pay, and payment for business performance, as agreed upon by a collective agreement or employment contract. Holiday and winter allowances also do not count towards the minimum wage. Employees are entitled to these allowances once a year, as defined by law.
No regular national reports on minimum wage setting are published in Slovenia. However, the Institute for Economic Research has produced a series of studies estimating minimum living costs, which constitute an important reference point for determining the level and adequacy of the minimum wage in Slovenia. The most recent study by Kump et al. (2025) provided updated estimates based on the established national methodology. The following is a list of previous reports or related analyses on the calculation of the minimum living costs.
Stanovnik, T. and Stropnik, N. (1998). Raziskava o minimalnih življenjskih stroških (Study on Minimum Costs of Living). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N. (1997). Revščina v Sloveniji: posledica ekonomske tranzicije (Poverty in Slovenia: A consequence of economic transition). Final report of a research project financed by the Research Support Scheme of the Higher Education Support Programme. Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N., Gregorič, M., Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M., Rozman, U., Bočkaj, B. and Dobrila, I. (2009). Minimalni življenjski stroški (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N., Gregorič, M., Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M., Robnik, M. and Švab, A. (2017). Minimalni življenjski stroški (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Stropnik, N. (2022). Minimalni življenjski stroškiPDFopens in new tab (Minimum living costs). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Kump, N., Bartolj, T., Gregorič, M., Škrlj, M., Fajdiga Turk, V., Valenčič, E., and Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, M. (2025). Izračun minimalnih življenjskih stroškov: končno poročilo o izračunuPDFopens in new tab (Calculation of minimum living costs: final report). Institute for Economic Research, Ljubljana.
Bobovnik, A., & Franca, V. (2023). How to regulate minimum wage in light of contemporary social change: A case study of Sloveniaopens in new tab. Stanovnistvo, 61(2), 145–166.
Kajzer, A. and Rogan, D. (June 2022). Wage trends in EU countries during the period 2015–2021opens in new tab. Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD).
Laporšek, S. and Vodopivec, M. (2020). The economic effects of the minimum wage in Sloveniaopens in new tab. In Woźniak-Jęchorek, B., and Pilc, M. (eds.), Labour Market Institutions and Productivity: Labour Utilisation in Central and Eastern Europe (1st ed.), Routledge, London, pp. 212–236.
Laporšek, S., Vodopivec, M. and Vodopivec M. (2021). Lowering wage inequality with the minimum wage increase in Sloveniaopens in new tab. International Journal of Sustainable Economy, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp. 306–321.
Müller, T. (2024), Dawn of a new era? The impact of the European Directive on adequate minimum wages in 2024.PDFopens in new tab Policy Recommendation 2024.02. European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Brussels.
Müller, T. (2025). Here comes the sun: The formal transposition and political impact of the European Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages in the EUopens in new tab. 2025.04. European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Brussels.
Perko, M. and Rogan, D. (2025). Minimalna plača – kdo jo prejema, kdo izplačuje in kako vpliva na ostale plačePDFopens in new tab (Minimum wage – who receives it, who pays it and how it affects other wages). Kratke analize (2025/8). Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development (IMAD), Ljubljana.
Poje, A. (2019), The introduction of a ‘monthly living wage’ in Sloveniaopens in new tab. Transfer: European Review of Labour and Research, 25(3), 335-350.
Poje Rožič, A. (2025). Collective bargaining and minimum wage regime in SloveniaPDFopens in new tab. European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), Brussels.
Rogan, D. (2020). Minimum wage in Slovenia during the period of crisis and economic growthPDFopens in new tab. Institute of Macroeconomic Analysis and Development.
