Overview

• The Minimum Wage Commission unanimously recommends raising Germany’s statutory minimum wage to €13.90 per hour from January 2026 and to €14.60 from January 2027.
• Full-time minimum-wage workers will see gross monthly pay rise by about €190 in 2026 and €310 in 2027.
• SPD’s earlier promise of a €15 wage in 2026 will not be met, leaving employees roughly €2,288 short in annual income compared with the pledge.
• Critics warn that unchanged social contributions will significantly reduce workers’ net gains and that firms, especially small businesses, could pass costs onto consumers.
• Critics in taz and union circles call for dissolving the Minimum Wage Commission and directly applying the EU’s 60 percent median-wage directive to guarantee a genuine €15 floor.