The average wage of workers in Portugal rose 5.1% year on year in the second quarter of 2026, bringing average total monthly gross remuneration to €1,835. According to data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the pace of wage growth slowed slightly by 0.3 percentage points, compared with the 5.4% recorded in the first quarter of the year.

When adjusted for inflation, which accelerated to a year-on-year rate of 3.3% during the period, the real gain in average worker income stood at 1.8%.

An analysis of the various income components reveals similar trends for both regular pay and base pay. Regular remuneration, which excludes seasonal payments such as holiday and Christmas bonuses, rose by 5.1% in nominal terms, increasing from €1,366 in June 2025 to €1,436 in the same month of 2026. Meanwhile, base pay also rose by 5.1%, reaching €1,342.

In real terms, the regular pay component increased by 1.8% and base pay grew by 1.7%, confirming that accelerating price increases eroded much of the purchasing power gained from the absolute wage increases granted.

Sectoral disparities and the public-private sector gap

A breakdown by economic activity reveals marked asymmetries in the national wage structure. In June 2026, average figures ranged from a low of €1,180 in agriculture, forestry, and fishing to a high of €3,986 in the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector.

However, year on year, the agricultural sector led with an 8.8% increase. In comparison, the energy sector recorded the smallest nominal variation (0.4%), resulting in a 2.7% real-term decline in the average wage for that sector.

Official statistics also show a persistent pay gap between the public and private sectors. In the public administration sector, average total remuneration rose by 3.7% in nominal terms (0.4% in real terms), reaching €2,792.

Meanwhile, in the private sector, which accounts for over 80% of the country’s workforce, average earnings grew by 5.5% in nominal terms and 2.2% in real terms, reaching €1,654.

The INE (National Statistics Institute) notes that this disparity is mainly explained by age structure, accumulated experience, and higher qualification levels in the public sector, where 56.9% of workers hold a higher education degree, compared to 26.7% in the private sector.