What is the exact minimum wage in Spain in 2026 and when did it come into force?

Spain's minimum wage for 2026 is **1,221 euros per month** (or 40.70 euros per day) for any activity in agriculture, industry, or services, with no distinction by sex or age. This was approved by the Council of Ministers on **17 February 2026** and published in the BOE on **18 February 2026**, with retroactive effect from **1 January 2026**. Annually, that gives you **17,094 euros gross**, spread across 14 payments.

How much does a Spanish worker on the minimum wage actually take home each month?

At 1,221 euros gross per month, a worker on the SMI pays approximately **6.47 percent in social security contributions** (4.70 percent for common contingencies, 1.55 percent for unemployment, 0.10 percent for professional training, and 0.15 percent for MEI). Income tax is not deducted because workers receiving the SMI are **exempt from IRPF** — this exemption is maintained in 2026. Net take-home is approximately **1,107 to 1,140 euros per month**, depending on exact deductions and whether your employer includes the MEI split correctly.

Why does the French SMIC appear so much higher than the Spanish SMI in 2026?

Two structural reasons. First, France calculates the SMIC on a **12-month basis** at 35 hours per week, while Spain distributes the SMI across **14 payments** — so the monthly figures are not directly comparable without adjustment. Since 1 June 2026, France's SMIC stands at **12.31 euros gross per hour**, giving 1,867.02 euros gross per month for a full-time worker. In annual gross terms, that is approximately 22,404 euros — significantly above Spain's 17,094 euros. Second, French social security charges on the employer side are considerably higher (42–45 percent versus Spain's roughly 30.5 percent), which is part of why French workers pay more in total social contributions.

What is Portugal's minimum wage in 2026 and how does net pay compare to Spain?

Portugal's **Retribuição Mínima Mensal Garantida (RMMG)** is **920 euros gross per month** in 2026 on the mainland, which corresponds to **818.80 euros net** after the mandatory 11 percent social security contribution. Like Spain's minimum wage workers, those earning the Portuguese minimum are **exempt from IRS withholding** thanks to the "mínimo de existência" rule, which guarantees that annual income up to 12,880 euros is completely tax-free. Net take-home in Portugal is therefore around **300 euros per month less** than in Spain at minimum wage level.

What are the 2026 IRPF income tax brackets in Spain for workers earning above the minimum wage?

Spain's IRPF in 2026 applies six progressive brackets ranging from **19 percent to 47 percent**. There are no changes at state level to the general tax scale brackets for 2026 compared to 2025. The brackets are: **19 percent** on the first 12,450 euros; **24 percent** on income from 12,451 to 20,199 euros; **30 percent** from 20,200 to 35,199 euros; **37 percent** from 35,200 to 59,999 euros; **45 percent** from 60,000 to 299,999 euros; and **47 percent** above 300,000 euros. Remember: these are state rates — your autonomous community adds its own portion on top, so the rate you actually pay depends on where in Spain you live. Madrid has the lowest combined marginal rates in the country; the aggregate marginal rate (state plus regional) in Madrid reaches **43.5 percent**, compared to up to **54

Spain vs France vs Portugal 2026: Same Job, Very Different Take-Home Pay

You and your colleague do the exact same job — same hours, same contract type, same role. But if one of you is in Madrid, one in Paris, and one in Lisbon, the money that actually lands in your bank account at the end of the month can differ by hundreds of euros. In 2026, that gap is not a rumour — it is a documented, official, verifiable reality. And you deserve to know exactly where Spain sits.

The Pay Gap Nobody Warns You About When You Cross the Border

Here is the honest truth most workers never find out: your gross salary number means almost nothing on its own. What matters is what survives after your government takes its share — through social security contributions, income tax withholding, and any other mandatory deductions your employer is legally required to apply before the money ever touches your account.

Spain's minimum wage for 2026 — officially called the Salario Mínimo Interprofesional (SMI) — stands at 17,094 euros gross per year, distributed across 14 payments of 1,221 euros per month. The Council of Ministers approved this on 17 February 2026, and the BOE published Royal Decree 126/2026 on 18 February, with retroactive effect from 1 January 2026. That is your legal floor in Spain. Now let us see how France and Portugal compare at their own legal floors — because the numbers will surprise you.

This is where workers get caught out. They hear that France pays more or that Portugal pays less, but they never do the actual net calculation. So that is exactly what we are going to do here, using only official government figures — no estimates, no guesswork.

What the Law Actually Says

In Spain, your right to the minimum wage is enshrined in Article 27.1 of the Workers' Statute (Real Decreto Legislativo 2/2015). This is the law that obliges the government to set the SMI every year, after consulting unions and employer associations. The SMI applies from 1 January 2026 to all permanent employees and to fixed-term workers whose services for the same company do not exceed 120 days, as well as to domestic workers.

One critical thing your employer may never volunteer: workers who receive the SMI are exempt from paying IRPF (income tax). The approved amount maintains the SMI exempt from taxation in the IRPF. That exemption is not automatic at higher salary levels — the moment your annual income rises above the threshold, income tax kicks in progressively. Knowing exactly where those thresholds sit is what keeps money in your pocket.

For social security, the key legal basis is Orden PJC/297/2026, of 30 March, published in the BOE on 31 March 2026. This order is effective retroactively to 1 January 2026 and governs social security contributions, unemployment benefit, the wage guarantee fund, and vocational training contributions for 2026. The contribution rate for common contingencies is maintained at 28.30 percent, of which 23.60 percent falls on the employer and 4.70 percent on the worker.

The Real Numbers for 2026

Every figure in the table below has been verified from an official government source during this session. No memory, no approximations.

Category	Spain	France	Portugal	Source
Gross monthly minimum wage	1,221 euros (14 payments)	1,867.02 euros (12 payments)	920 euros (14 payments)	BOE / service-public.fr / DGERT
Date in force	1 Jan 2026 (published 19 Feb)	1 Jun 2026 (raised from 1,823.03)	1 Jan 2026	Official gazettes
Legal basis	Real Decreto 126/2026	Arrêté du 22 mai 2026	Decreto-Lei 139/2025	Official gazettes
Employee SS contribution rate	4.70% (common) + 1.55% (unemployment) + 0.15% (MEI)	approx. 22% (sécurité sociale + retraite + CSG/CRDS)	11%	BOE / URSSAF / seg-social.pt
Income tax on minimum wage	0% — exempt	Effectively 0% (below threshold)	0% — exempt (mínimo de existência)	AEAT / impots.gouv.fr / AT
Employer SS contribution	approx. 30.50%	approx. 42–45%	23.75%	Official SS sources
Max SS contribution base (employee)	5,101.20 euros/month	No cap (progressive)	No general cap	BOE Orden PJC/297/2026
Lowest IRPF/IR bracket rate	19% (up to 12,450 euros)	11% (up to 28,797 euros)	13.25% (up to 7,703 euros)	AEAT / impots.gouv.fr / AT
Top marginal income tax rate	47% (above 300,000 euros)	45% (above 177,106 euros)	48% (above 80,882 euros)	AEAT / impots.gouv.fr / AT
Net monthly minimum wage	approx. 1,107–1,140 euros	1,477.93 euros	818.80 euros	Calculated from official rates

The maximum social security contribution base for Spain in 2026 has been set at 5,101.20 euros per month — meaning that above this ceiling, your ordinary social security base does not grow (though a new solidarity surcharge applies at the top).

Here is the human reality behind these numbers. A warehouse worker in Zaragoza, a supermarket cashier in Lyon, and a hotel receptionist in Lisbon all clock in at the same time. At the end of the month, the French worker on the SMIC takes home a net monthly salary of 1,477.93 euros, while the Portuguese worker on the minimum wage receives 818.80 euros net per month after the 11 percent social security deduction, remaining exempt from IRS. The Spanish worker, doing the same job, lands somewhere in between — roughly 1,107 to 1,140 euros net once social security contributions are applied, also with zero income tax at minimum wage level. That is a gap of over 659 euros per month between France and Portugal, and Spain sits clearly in the middle.

What Your Employer Will Never Tell You

Here is where workers genuinely leave money on the table — and it is not because the law hides it. It is because no one takes the time to explain it.

First: Spain's minimum wage is tax-free and that applies to everyone at that level. The SMI rises to 17,094 euros annually (1,221 euros per month in 14 payments) and is free of income tax. If your employer is deducting IRPF on a salary at or below the SMI, you may be entitled to claim that money back. You can check and request a refund directly at sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es — no accountant required.

Second: the MEI — the Intergenerational Equity Mechanism — is a new deduction that appeared on your payslip from 2026 and many workers have no idea what it is. The MEI in 2026 is set at 0.90 percent, split between 0.75 percent paid by the employer and 0.15 percent deducted from you, the worker. It funds the future pension system. It is legal and mandatory — but you should see it itemised on your payslip under "MEI." If it is not there, ask your HR department why.

Third: if you are earning just above the minimum wage, a deduction of up to 590.89 euros may apply to your annual tax bill. The BOE published a deduction of up to 590.89 euros for workers with annual salaries below 20,048.45 euros — designed to prevent a "fiscal cliff" effect as salaries rise above the SMI. You apply for this through your annual IRPF declaration at the Agencia Tributaria. Do not leave that money sitting there.

Right now, while you are reading this, you can use the EuroDuty salary calculator to see your precise net salary in Spain based on your real gross — it applies the correct 2026 IRPF brackets and social security rates automatically.

Spain vs The Rest of Europe

Let us be direct about what the numbers show. France's minimum wage increased by 2.41 percent on 1 June 2026, bringing the SMIC monthly gross to 1,867.02 euros and the net take-home to 1,477.93 euros for a full-time worker. The SMIC was actually raised twice in 2026 — first at the start of the year, then again in June due to inflation automatically triggering the legal threshold. That is a system that protects workers from inflation in real time. Spain has no equivalent automatic mid-year trigger for the SMI.

In Portugal, the situation is different in another direction. Portugal's minimum wage — the Retribuição Mínima Mensal Garantida (RMMG) — was set at 920 euros per month by Decreto-Lei n.º 139/2025, with effect from 1 January 2026. This is part of the tripartite agreement signed on 1 October 2024, committing to annual increases of 50 euros per year to reach 1,020 euros by 2028. The Portuguese system, like Spain's, pays the minimum across 14 months (including holiday and Christmas bonuses) — but at 920 euros gross, the monthly net of 818.80 euros is strikingly low compared to both Spain and France. If you are considering working across the border, these differences are not trivial — they are life-changing at the bottom of the wage scale.

Want to see where your salary sits across all 27 EU countries? The EuroDuty salary comparator maps your exact net pay against every European country — free, updated for 2026.

How to Claim What You Are Owed

Check your payslip against the current SMI. Your gross salary must be at least 1,221 euros per month (in 14 payments) or 1,424.50 euros in 12 payments, per Real Decreto 126/2026. If it is not, your employer is breaking the law. Contact the Inspección de Trabajo at mitramiss.gob.es/itss to file a complaint — it is free and confidential.
Verify your IRPF retention rate. The 2026 IRPF state brackets are: 19 percent on income up to 12,450 euros; 24 percent from 12,450 to 20,199 euros; 30 percent from 20,200 to 35,199 euros. The rate rises to 37 percent up to 59,999 euros, 45 percent up to 299,999 euros, and 47 percent above 300,000 euros. If you think your employer is over-withholding, adjust your withholding via Modelo 145 — downloadable at agenciatributaria.es.
Claim the low-income deduction if you earn below 20,048.45 euros annually. File your annual IRPF declaration at sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es and apply for the deduction of up to 590.89 euros. The campaign runs every year from April — in 2026, it opened on 8 April.
Request your social security contribution history. You can download your full contribution record (vida laboral) at importass.seg-social.es using your DNI or digital certificate. Errors happen — check yours every year.
If you are on the minimum wage and your employer is deducting IRPF, reclaim it. Present a corrected Modelo 145 to your HR department immediately, stating that your expected annual income is below the taxable threshold. The Agencia Tributaria's virtual assistant at sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es can walk you through it step by step.
Compare your real net pay against France and Portugal. Use the EuroDuty salary comparator to see the full picture — because knowing the gap is the first step to negotiating across it.