Would North Macedonia Need a €3,000 Salary?
A Croatian union’s calculation of a €3,000 ‘dignified’ salary highlights the gap with North Macedonia’s average wage and local cost baskets.
Debate about what constitutes a decent wage has moved from neighbouring Croatia to discussions here: Croatian trade unionists published a preliminary calculation arguing that a dignified salary for one worker should exceed €3,000 (about 185,000 denars), based on a food basket of 2,950 calories per day and other living costs.
What the numbers say in North Macedonia
The local picture is far removed from that figure. The State Statistical Office reports that the average net monthly wage in North Macedonia in May 2026 was 49,544 denars (about €800). At the same time, the SSM’s minimum consumption basket for a four-person household reaches nearly 68,500 denars, and if that household pays rent for a 60 m² apartment the estimated minimum costs rise to over 84,000 denars.
Put simply, two parents each earning the national average would only just cover basic expenses for food, bills, clothing, education and health — with no room left for savings, holidays, recreation or cushions against unexpected costs.
Trade unions in North Macedonia increasingly call for the minimum wage to be raised to €600. But when the calculation for a "dignified" life includes more than bare survival — culture, travel and economic security — the gap between what many suggest is necessary and what households actually earn becomes stark.
The Croatian proposal raises a wider question for Macedonian public debate: is a €3,000 benchmark an unattainable ideal here, or does it expose how far current wages fall short of providing a modern, quality life?
Photo: Ilustracija (AI)
