List of Countries With Highest Minimum Wages Per Hour in 2024
- A verified data account published a 2024 ranking of countries by minimum hourly wage, placing Switzerland at the top with $27.60 per hour
- Nigeria ranked 151st on the global list, with a minimum wage of just $0.25 per hour, one of the lowest recorded figures worldwide
- The data revealed that a worker in the Netherlands earns the equivalent of 53 hours of Nigerian minimum-wage labour in a single hour
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Switzerland led the world in minimum hourly wages in 2024, paying workers $27.60 per hour,
The figures placed Nigeria at position 151 on the global ranking, with a minimum wage of just $0.25 per hour, underscoring the vast gap between African labour earnings and those in wealthier nations.
Source: Getty Images
This is according to data published on Monday, August 25, 2026, by verified statistics account StatiSense on X @StatiSense.
Iceland came second on the list at $17.81 per hour, followed by Luxembourg at $16.05. Australia ranked fourth at $15.32, while the United Kingdom came in fifth at $14.61 per hour.
New Zealand, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany rounded out the top ten, with hourly minimum wages ranging from $14.00 down to $12.83.
Minimum wage: How Nigeria compares to top 10
The contrast between Nigeria and the leading countries is stark. Switzerland's minimum wage is more than 110 times Nigeria's figure.
This means that a Swiss worker on minimum pay earns in a single hour what a Nigerian worker would need roughly four and a half days to match at the legal minimum rate.
The Netherlands, which ranked eighth at $13.33 per hour, provided perhaps the sharpest illustration of the divide.
According to the data, one hour of Dutch minimum-wage work is equivalent to approximately 53 hours of work at Nigeria's minimum wage, meaning a Nigerian worker would need to clock more than two full days of labour to earn what a Dutch counterpart takes home in 60 minutes.
Nigeria's minimum wage in context
Nigeria's federal minimum wage has been a subject of repeated public debate, particularly amid rising inflation and the removal of fuel subsidies, which significantly increased the cost of living for ordinary workers.
The country's wage floor remains among the lowest globally in dollar terms, reflecting broader economic challenges including currency depreciation and a wide gap between official wage policy and actual purchasing power.
The StatiSense data adds a comparative dimension to that conversation, situating Nigeria's wage conditions within a global framework that highlights how far Nigerian workers' baseline earnings lag behind those in developed economies.
Czechia agrees 11% minimum wage rise
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that the Czech government agreed to raise the minimum wage by 2,500 crowns, with a target set for further growth by 2029.
Trade unions are pushing for the minimum wage to reach 50% of the average salary, citing European Union (EU) requirements, while employers are pushing back
About 181,000 workers in Czechia currently earn the minimum wage, mostly in low-skilled sectors such as cleaning, catering, and retail .
Source: Legit.ng
