Minimum Wages - Data Collection Overview

 General Database Information

Full name

WageIndicator Minimum Wages Database

Aims

The WageIndicator Minimum Wages Database includes all minimum wage rates agreed by national governments or wage boards. The information is published on the WageIndicator Minimum Wage pages.

Data used for...

To publish minimum wages on the national WageIndicator websites and on the home page of WageIndicator. To compare minimum wages across countries. To generate a historic database of minimum wages.

The WageIndicator Minimum Wage Database contains the minimum wage rates for the 200+ countries around the world. 
 

Countries covered

The Database has information for 208 countries, of which 19 have no Statutory Minimum Wage.

77 have one national Minimum Wage rate. Another 71 have between 2 and 100 different Minimum Wages. Thirteen countries (BangladeshBrazilChinaEcuadorFijiIndiaIndonesiaMexico, PakistanPanamaSouth AfricaSri LankaUSA) specify Minimum Wage Rates for more than a hundred different categories of workers.
 
For India this even amounts up to over 13,000 different Minimum Wages, which are specified by state, regions within states, industries, occupations, and skill levels. 

Languages

Minimum wage web pages are available in the national language of the website and in English.

Data collection method

The Database is based on desk research and on information from national correspondents.

Data time frame

2014 - ongoing

Data updating policy

When wage boards update their rates

Sampling Frame

Minimum wage rates published by governments or wage boards. The database started in 2005 for one country, and gradually the number of countries in the database increased.

Nr. of Observations

Over 22,000 rates

Data Access

Data archive

Minimum Wage pages on national websites and at WageIndicator.org
For full or partial access to the dataset for research or other purposes, please contact us.

DOI code

-

Data visuals

WageIndicator Data Visuals

Codebook/manual

-

Long list variables

Minimum Wage rates are coded acording to geographical areas in the country, to industries (NACE/ISIC coding), to occupations (ISCO-08 coded), to firm size, to age group, whenever applicable.

Formats

Website pages

Citation

WageIndicator Minimum Wages Database [year, country, sector]

 

Loading...