The average gross wage in Slovenia was €1,754 and in the Czech Republic it was €1,329, followed by Poland (€1,144), Hungary (€1,131), Slovakia (€1,092), Romania (€1,038), Bulgaria (€652) and Serbia (€643).
Although Croatia is among the countries with an average gross salary above €1,000, growths in comparable countries differ significantly, RBA analysts said.
In most of the countries observed, annual growth rates since 2008 were more pronounced, while in Croatia it remained relatively stable, slightly above €1,000.
Eurostat data show that the minimum gross wage in Croatia in the first half of this year was €546. It was €575 in the Czech Republic, €580 in Slovakia, €611 in Poland and €941 in Slovenia.
In other comparable countries it was lower - €487 in Hungary, €466 in Romania, €343 in Serbia and €312 in Bulgaria.
RBA analysts say the minimum gross wage in Croatia makes up 46% of the average gross wage. It is lower in Hungary and the Czech Republic (43% each) and Romania (45%), while being higher in Bulgaria (48%), Slovakia, Serbia and Poland (53% each) and Slovenia (54%).
In Croatia, the average gross wage in 2019 was HRK 8,993, nominally up 4.4% on the year. At the end of last year, the government set the minimum net wage for this year at a gross HRK 4,062.51, HRK 312 more than for 2019.
(€1 = HRK 7.5)