The Government has determined a gross minimum wage of 1,130 euros for the entire year 2027

The Government of the Republic of Croatia determined at its session held on October 29, 2026, that the minimum wage in 2027 will be 1,130.00 euros in gross amount. This is the Decree on the Amount of the Minimum Wage for 2027, published in Official Gazette (Narodne novine) No. 124/2026 of October 30, 2026, under number 1481. The Decree enters into force on January 1, 2027, the same day from which its provision on the wage amount begins to apply.

The Government adopted the Decree based on Article 6 of the Minimum Wage Act (“Official Gazette”, No. 118/18, 120/21, and 152/24), and it was signed by the Prime Minister mr. sc. Andrej Plenković. The act is marked with Class: 022-03/26-03/79 and Registry Number: 50301-05/14-26-4, with the place and date of issuance in Zagreb, October 29, 2026. The same issue of the Official Gazette also contains the Decision on the Classification of Public Roads under number 1482, so the Decree was published on the first page of that edition.

The norm is short: it contains only two articles. The first determines the wage amount and the period to which it refers, and the second covers the publication and entry into force. Therefore, the Decree does not provide for a transitional period, special adjustment measures, nor different amounts for specific months or groups of workers – the key parameter is uniform for the entire calendar year.

What the Decree Determines

The first article determines the amount of the minimum wage for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2027, in the gross amount of 1,130.00 euros. The amount is explicitly designated as gross, meaning it does not represent the worker’s net receipt, but the value at the wage level before mandatory contributions and taxes.

The key elements of the act are:

• minimum wage amount: 1,130.00 euros, gross
• application period: from January 1 to December 31, 2027
• adopter: Government of the Republic of Croatia, at the session on October 29, 2026
• legal basis: Article 6 of the Minimum Wage Act
• publication: Official Gazette No. 124/2026, act number 1481, October 30, 2026
• entry into force: January 1, 2027
• act markings: Class: 022-03/26-03/79, Registry Number: 50301-05/14-26-4

The second article regulates the publication in the official gazette and the start of application. Thus, the period between the publication, October 30, 2026, and the start of application, January 1, 2027, is two months: a period in which employers can align payroll calculations and internal acts with the new amount before the first payment in 2027.

Legal Framework and Position in the System

The Decree is a subordinate act used to execute the legal obligation to determine the amount of the minimum wage for the following calendar year. Thus, the minimum wage amount is not regulated by an individual decision for each worker nor by a collective agreement, but by a general act of the Government that applies to all covered employment relationships in the territory of the Republic of Croatia.

The Minimum Wage Act has since been amended – the current body of law includes amendments from 2021 and 2024 (No. 120/21 and 152/24) along with the original text from 2018 (No. 118/18). The Decree refers specifically to those regulations that were in force at the time of its adoption, as stated in the introduction of the act.

Unlike the law, the Decree does not change the circle of obligors or the methodology, but only determines the numerical amount and the period to which it applies. Therefore, its application cannot be postponed or conditioned by additional acts: upon entering into force on January 1, 2027, the amount of 1,130.00 euros becomes the reference value for the year 2027.

What this means for workers and employers

For workers with the lowest earnings, the Decree means that their gross salary for every month of 2027 is tied to a single amount determined for the entire year, without changes within the year. For employers, this is a parameter that translates directly into payroll costs: since the amount is known in advance and fixed until December 31, 2027, labor cost planning for the following year can be determined based on the published act.

There is also a practical consequence regarding timing: publication on October 30, 2026, leaves two months until the first payment at the new rate, including the period in which calculations, employment contracts, and records are typically aligned. The Decree does not affect other payments or supplements regulated by special legislation, collective agreements, or employment contracts.

GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
DECREE ON THE AMOUNT OF THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR 2027
Published in “Narodne novine”, No. 124/2026, act No. 1481, Zagreb, October 30, 2026.
Class: 022-03/26-03/79 – Reg. No: 50301-05/14-26-4
Zagreb, October 29, 2026. – Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia: mr. sc. Andrej Plenković, v. r.