Our approach
wage.is provides minimum wage, average salary, and median income data for 225 countries and territories and 271 subdivisions. All data is sourced from official government statistics and reputable international organizations, verified against multiple sources where possible, and clearly dated so you can judge freshness. Every country page displays its last-updated date and links to the original source.
International organizations
These authoritative international bodies provide consistent, comparable wage data across countries:
International Labour Organization (ILO)
Global wage and employment database (ILOSTAT). Primary source for minimum wage rates, wage structures, and labor market indicators worldwide.
ilostat.ilo.org
OECD
Minimum wage database covering 38 member countries. Provides harmonized, comparable data on statutory minimum wages and average earnings.
stats.oecd.org
World Bank
World Development Indicators (WDI) for income classifications, GNI per capita, and Consumer Price Index (CPI) data used in our inflation-adjusted real wage calculations.
data.worldbank.org
Eurostat
European Union statistical office. Provides bi-annual minimum wage data for all EU member states, as well as earnings structure surveys.
ec.europa.eu/eurostat
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
World Economic Outlook (WEO) data used as a supplementary source for economic indicators and inflation estimates.
imf.org/en/Publications/WEO
National government sources
Government labor departments and national statistics offices are our preferred primary sources. Key examples include:
U.S. Department of Labor / Bureau of Labor Statistics
Federal and state minimum wages, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Current Population Survey median income data.
Statistics Canada
Provincial minimum wages, Labour Force Survey earnings data, and Census median income figures.
UK Office for National Statistics (ONS)
National Living Wage / National Minimum Wage rates, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).
Australian Bureau of Statistics / Fair Work Commission
National Minimum Wage orders, Employee Earnings and Hours survey data.
For each of the 225 countries and territories covered, we cite the relevant national labor ministry or statistics bureau. Specific source URLs and verification dates are recorded in our data files and displayed on individual country pages.
Exchange rates & inflation
Exchange rates
Currency conversions use rates sourced from the European Central Bank (ECB) via the Frankfurter API. Rates are updated periodically and represent indicative market rates. Our USD and EUR equivalents are approximate and intended for comparison purposes only.
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Inflation data for 179 countries (2015–2025) is sourced primarily from the World Bank World Development Indicators. For the current year, national statistics offices and IMF estimates supplement the World Bank data, which typically has a one-year publication lag. CPI data powers our inflation-adjusted "real wage" calculations and buying power sparklines.
Secondary sources
When official government or international organization data is not available for a specific indicator, we may reference reputable secondary sources:
Trading Economics
Aggregates official government data. Used as a cross-reference for wage and economic indicators.
Wage Indicator Foundation
Research-based organization providing wage data for developing economies where official statistics may be limited.
CIA World Factbook
General economic and labor market context for countries with limited primary data availability.
Secondary sources are used only when primary sources are unavailable. When used, they are noted in the source attribution for that data point.
Data quality & methodology
We apply a structured approach to data quality:
- Confidence levels: each country's data carries a confidence rating (high, medium, or low) based on source reliability and verification status
- Data quality flags: indicators such as "estimated," "outdated," "conflicting sources," or "currency volatile" are applied where relevant
- Last-verified dates: every data point records when it was last checked against its source
- Source attribution: original source URLs are stored alongside every wage figure
Minimum wage data must come from official government or international organization sources. Average salary data preferably comes from official statistics, with reputable secondary sources acceptable where government data is not published. All amounts are gross (before tax) unless otherwise noted.
Update frequency
High-traffic countries (~30)
Verified against primary sources at least annually, typically in January–February when many countries announce new minimum wage rates.
All other countries (~168)
Updated on a best-effort basis as new data becomes available from international organizations. Each page displays its last-verified date so you can assess freshness.
Limitations
Wage data is inherently complex. Statutory minimum wages may not reflect actual earnings in countries with large informal economies. Average salaries can be skewed by outliers. Exchange rate conversions are approximate and fluctuate daily. Inflation adjustments depend on CPI data that may lag by up to one year. wage.is presents this data for informational and comparison purposes only. It is not financial or legal advice.
Reporting errors
We regularly audit our data for accuracy and welcome corrections. If you notice an error or outdated figure, we appreciate your patience as we work to keep data current across 225 countries and territories. Data corrections are prioritized based on traffic and impact.