Net salaries — not just gross earnings — are the figure that most accurately reflects what workers actually take home. According to an analysis by Euronews Business, based on Eurostat data for 2025, Greece ranks among the European Union countries with the smallest tax and social security deductions. Specifically, for a single worker without children, the percentage of gross earnings withheld amounts to just 17%, while the EU average stands at 29.1%. Only Cyprus records a lower burden, while at the opposite end of the spectrum, countries such as Romania, Lithuania, and Belgium see deductions exceeding 40% of gross earnings.
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This picture significantly changes the way workers’ earnings in Greece are assessed. Although the country continues to rank near the bottom of the EU in terms of gross wages, the rankings shift considerably once net pay — after taxes and social security contributions — is taken into account. According to the analysis, this finding challenges the widely held perception of Greece as the second-lowest wage country in Europe, as workers’ final disposable income proves to be more competitive compared to several other member states.
Net salaries: Greece ranks second for lowest deductions in the EU
Eurostat tables show that Greece ranks second only to Cyprus in terms of the lowest tax burden, both for workers without children and across several family categories. For single-parent families with two children in particular, the deduction rate drops even further, placing Greece among the most favorable EU countries for this group of workers.
A similar picture emerges for couples with two children, where the deduction rate remains at around 17%, while in many other European countries, withholdings are considerably higher.
The data refer to 2025; however, as of January 1, 2026, a new tax scale has come into effect in Greece, introducing additional tax reductions — particularly for families with children. These changes, combined with the wage increases implemented from April 2026 onward, are expected to have an even greater impact on future European comparisons once they are reflected in updated Eurostat figures.
What comparisons with other European countries reveal
The divergence becomes even more apparent when examining the actual amounts deducted from workers’ salaries.
In Greece, the average annual gross salary stands at €18,124, with total deductions amounting to €3,074, leaving net earnings of €15,050. On this basis, Greece moves from second to fourth place among EU countries with the lowest net wages — significantly narrowing the gap with several other nations.
By contrast, the average EU worker faces annual deductions of €11,029 — more than three times the amount withheld in Greece.
In Romania, where the average annual gross salary reaches €22,620, deductions amount to €9,387, leaving net earnings of just €13,233. In Hungary, €6,033 is deducted from a gross income of €19,500, while in Bulgaria net earnings stand at €13,017.
Deductions are even higher in Western European countries. In Germany, out of an annual gross income of €47,514, deductions total €16,514, leaving €31,000 in net pay. In France, earnings are reduced from €41,764 to €30,832, while in Spain the average worker retains €25,263 from an initial income of €32,446. Correspondingly, net earnings in Portugal amount to €19,709, in Croatia €17,256, and in Slovakia — despite gross earnings being higher than in Greece — net pay is limited to €15,686, just €636 more than the average Greek worker takes home.
The data also show that in countries with the highest tax burdens — such as Romania (41.5%), Lithuania (39.1%), and Belgium (37.6%) — deductions absorb a significantly larger share of gross earnings compared to Greece.
The overall picture emerging from the Eurostat and Euronews Business analysis is that, despite Greece’s gross wages remaining among the lowest in the EU, the country’s lower tax and social security deductions allow workers to retain a greater share of their income — with Greece recording one of the most favorable net wage performances in Europe after withholdings.
