Real wages in Slovakia declined by 0.5% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, ending ten consecutive quarters of growth and marking the first drop since Q3 2023. The average nominal monthly wage rose by 3.2% to EUR 1,707, an increase of EUR 53 compared with a year earlier, but this was insufficient to keep pace with inflation.
Nominal wages increased in 16 of the 19 monitored sectors, with the strongest growth in real estate activities (9.8%), while public administration recorded the sharpest decline (-4.8%). Real wages rose in 12 sectors, again led by real estate (up 5.9%), whereas public administration saw the largest fall (-8.2%).
In industry, nominal wages grew by 4.9% to EUR 1,878, with real wages up 1.2%. In trade, nominal wages increased by 4% to EUR 1,596, and real wages edged up by 0.3%.
For the first half of 2026 as a whole, the average nominal monthly wage increased by 4.6% to EUR 1,659, while real wages rose by 0.9%.
