VERIFIED 22 JUNE 2026against gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-ratesby Oliver Wakefield-Smith
minimumwagerates.co.uk

Rate of record

UK vs Republic of Ireland minimum wage

UK NLW £12.71/hr vs Republic of Ireland National Minimum Wage €13.50/hr. At a GBP/EUR rate around 0.85, the Irish figure is roughly £11.50 - the UK floor is currently higher in pound terms.

The headline rates

  • UK National Living Wage (21+): £12.71/hr from 1 April 2026gov.uk
  • Republic of Ireland NMW (20+): €13.50/hr from 1 January 2026gov.ie
  • At GBP/EUR 0.85: Irish rate ≈ £11.48 in pound terms

The Irish trajectory to a Living Wage

The Irish Government is on a multi-year path to a national Living Wage at 60% of median earnings by 2026 (now pushed to a later horizon). The cadence is January uplifts, not April.

Northern Ireland cross-border workers

NMW is reserved (UK Parliament). A Northern Ireland-based worker on a UK contract is covered by the UK NLW. A worker resident in NI but employed by an Irish-resident employer falls under Irish NMW. Tax residence is a separate question.

Sub-rates in Ireland

  • Under 18: 70% of NMW
  • 18-year-olds: 80%
  • 19-year-olds: 90%
  • 20 and over: full NMW (€13.50)

The Irish 20+ threshold is the equivalent of the UK 21+ threshold; both are evidence of OECD-wide convergence on a sub-21 / sub-20 minimum floor.

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