OREANDA-NEWS. Latvia still has the lowest pensions and minimum monthly wage among the three Baltic countries, whereas, in terms of the average monthly wage, Latvia places second, as the Central Statistical Bureau's data reveal, reported the press-centre of PrivatBank.

In the second quarter of this year, the average gross monthly wage/salary in Latvia was EUR 553, which is 9,2 percent larger than in the first quarter, and 33,4 percent larger than in the second quarter of the previous year.

The highest wages and salaries are in Estonia, where, in the second quarter of this year, employees received on the average EUR 738 before taxes. This is 11,9 percent more than in the first quarter of the year, and 21,2 percent more than in the second quarter of last year.

In Lithuania, the average gross wage/salary amounts to EUR 529. That is 5,1 percent more than in the first quarter of this year, and 20,2 percent more than last year.

The minimum wage in Latvia is lower than in the neighboring countries. In Latvia, the minimum monthly wage is EUR 171, while in Lithuania it is EUR 203, and in Estonia - EUR 230.

In the second quarter of this year, the average state retirement pension in Latvia was EUR 155, in Lithuania - EUR 167,1, but in Estonia - EUR 225.