The Polish government has finalized the minimum wage for 2027: from January 1 it will stand at 4,950 zloty gross, while the minimum hourly rate for civil-law contracts will rise to 32.30 zloty. Compared with the figures in force in 2026 — 4,806 zloty and 31.40 zloty respectively — this represents an increase of 144 zloty to the monthly minimum and 0.90 zloty to the hourly rate. The final decision was taken by the Council of Ministers within the deadline set by law — by 15 September 2026.
How the decision was formed
The size of the minimum wage is traditionally discussed in the Social Dialogue Council, where representatives of trade unions, employers and the state sit at the same table. This year, no consensus was reached: the union side insisted on a level of no less than 5,200 zloty, while employers argued that the increase should not exceed the government's proposal. Due to the lack of agreement, the issue was referred to the Council of Ministers, which fixed the final figures — 4,950 zloty gross and 32.30 zloty per hour.
The trend of the minimum wage over a decade
Over the past ten years, the minimum wage in Poland has grown by 3,056 zloty — from 1,750 zloty in 2015 to 4,806 zloty in 2026. The most intense years were 2023 and 2024, when the review was carried out twice within a calendar year: in 2023 the figure rose from 3,490 zloty (from 1 January) to 3,600 zloty (from 1 July), and in 2024 — from 4,242 to 4,300 zloty. In 2025 the minimum wage was raised to 4,666 and then to 4,806 zloty gross, which in terms of net pay to the worker amounted to around 3,605 zloty take-home.
Context: average and median wage
To assess the real position of the minimum wage within the income structure, it is important to compare it with the average figures. According to data for August 2026, the average wage in Poland was 9,966 zloty gross, while the median — the level below which half of workers earned — was noticeably lower, at 7,690 zloty. This means that the minimum wage covers only about 45% of the median income. The highest incomes are traditionally concentrated in the extractive and digital sectors, while pay levels in small companies are significantly lower.
What this means for workers
The increase to 4,950 zloty gross from 1 January 2027 will be the next step in the long-term trend of rising minimum wages in Poland, although it will not reach the level demanded by the unions. For workers on civil-law contracts, the most important change is the hourly rate rising to 32.30 zloty, since it is this rate that sets the lower bound of pay under such contracts. Experts note that further dynamics will depend on inflation and government decisions on possible mid-year adjustments, as was practiced in 2023–2025.
