Spanish experts recommend 4.9% minimum wage rise to 1,281 euros in 2027

The recommendation

The expert commission of the Ministry of Labour has finished its report on the interprofessional minimum wage (SMI) for 2027 and recommends a 4.9% increase. That would take the wage from 1,221 euros gross a month to 1,281 euros in 14 payments, a rise of 60 euros in each payslip, according to RTVE, citing sources familiar with the meeting. Labour minister Yolanda Díaz, who is also deputy prime minister, asked the group to prepare the proposal and to finish before the early-November deadline she set. The experts met that deadline, and the study is now waiting for the ministry to choose a day to announce its conclusions. El Confidencial reports that the annual equivalent would be 17,934 euros gross.

Why the figure is 4.9%

The group worked to two mandates: the minimum should reach 60% of the average wage, and it should protect purchasing power. El Mundo reports that meeting the 60% target alone would need a 2.7% rise, to 1,254 euros a month. Protecting purchasing power requires 4.9%, which matches the year-on-year rise in the consumer price index in September, as confirmed by the National Statistics Institute (INE), and the advance figure for October. Average inflation forecasts for 2026 sit lower, at 3.9% according to the latest Bank of Spain projections, while Funcas puts the 2027 pension revaluation at 3.6%. The chart below sets the three monthly levels side by side.

2026 current level1,221

60% wage target (2.7% rise)1,254

Recommended 2027 level (4.9% rise)1,281

2026 current level

1221 euros gross per month (14 payments)

60% wage target (2.7% rise)

1254 euros gross per month (14 payments)

Recommended 2027 level (4.9% rise)

1281 euros gross per month (14 payments)

Data from the article text

Unions and employers

CCOO and UGT are asking for a 7% increase, which would bring the annual minimum to 18,284 euros gross. They argue that inflation has opened a gap of around 2% against the 3.1% rise applied in 2026. The employers' confederation CEOE has not made a proposal this year and considers the timing electoral, according to El Confidencial. El País reports that business groups have also criticised the ministry for moving too fast. Under the Workers' Statute, the government can set the SMI after consulting unions and employers, without needing their approval.

Timetable before the vote

The social dialogue table is convened for Wednesday, 4 November, and El Confidencial reports that both the unions and CEOE have confirmed they will attend. Unlike previous years, the meeting was called before the report was presented at a public event. After the talks, the government will put the increase into a royal decree and present it to the Council of Ministers. General elections have been brought forward to 29 November, and the government wants the rise approved before the vote.

Background and pending reform

El Confidencial notes that a rise of this size would lift the SMI 74.1% above its 2018 level, recovering years of stagnation after the financial crisis. El País reports that PSOE and Sumar promised to amend the Workers' Statute so the SMI rises automatically in line with 60% of the average wage. That commitment has not advanced in parliament, given the government's fragile parliamentary position.