New Living Wage Guidance Data Covers 190 Countries and is Built On Improved Collection

The new Living Wage Guidance figures are now available. Published every October, these estimates help companies and workers get access to capped data and smooth out any spikes. Learn how the data collection has been improved to deliver better Living Wage data.

Where can the new Living Wage estimates be found?

The Living Wage Guidance estimates are publicly available on our website.

What is WageIndicator’s Living Wage Guidance, and how many countries does WageIndicator provide Living Wage estimates for?

Unlike the quarterly estimates that are shared with clients, which can be affected by seasonal changes and price spikes, each October WageIndicator calculates a Living Wage Guidance, a capped version of the yearly average estimate. “Each October, the current Yearly Average (the average of the January, April, July and October releases) is compared with last year's Guidance,” Daniela Ceccom, Lead Data, explains. “The current year’s Guidance is then derived by capping the Yearly Average at 3% at the lower end, and at 5% plus inflation at the higher end, compared to the previous year’s Guidance. This is meant to help companies, NGOs and the public to smooth out quarterly spikes.”

As of October 2026, WageIndicator has published new Living Wage estimates for more than 4,000 regions across 190 countries.

What's new in the October 2026 Living Wage Guidance?

“With the October 2026 release, WageIndicator has introduced several updates to make its Living Wage data more responsive to methodological developments, different stages of life and local realities,” says Daniela Ceccon. “First of all, we have introduced a Methodological Increment to ensure that when a change in the methodology adds a new cost, this is reflected in the Guidance rather than being limited by the usual annual cap.”

It's not the only improvement, though: as explained by Paulien Osse, Global Lead Living Wages, “The new Living Pension estimates the minimum income a person of retirement age needs to meet basic needs.” Alongside it, the Living Pension Fund estimates the contribution, expressed as a percentage of the Living Wage, that needs to be set aside during a worker’s working life to finance a Living Pension in retirement.

What does a Living Wage include, and how has the data collection been improved for better Living Wage estimates?

A Living Wage is the actual income needed for a worker and their family to afford a decent standard of living, including food, housing, healthcare, and emergencies, based on local costs.

At WageIndicator, data is collected on the ground and online by 400 data collectors around the world.

The Living Wage estimates are based on a Typical Family where at least one person works full time and the other has variable hours. The calculation also considers the average number of children per family.

Using the WageIndicator Living Wage estimates, companies and brands can identify any wage gaps precisely, while workers and trade unions can kick-start wage negotiations.

The WageIndicator Cost-of-Living survey now better captures situations where public healthcare exists officially but is unavailable or difficult to access locally. “In these cases, the additional or private healthcare costs people may need to pay can be taken into account,” says Daniela Ceccon.

The Cost-of-Living survey has been expanded with additional food items to better capture local diets and consumption patterns. These include additional pulses, locally relevant grains and different types of flatbread.

How do Living Wages and Minimum Wages compare based on the new October release?

According to WageIndicator's estimates for 2026, the Minimum Wage in 23 countries is equal to or higher than the Living Wage. In 2025, that number was 22. The closer the Minimum Wage is to the Living Wage, the more people are likely to afford a decent standard of life.

I am a worker and I want to learn if I earn enough. How can I access the new Living Wage estimates?

The new Living Wage Guidance estimates are freely available to all visitors.

I am a company. How can I access the new Living Wage estimates?

If you are looking for more comprehensive Living Wage data, quarterly updates, and gap analyses, please contact us directly.