In the second quarter of 2026, the average gross salary for full-time work was 1886 euros — 4.3%, or 78 euros, more than a year earlier. Compared to the first quarter of this year, it increased by 2.3%. The average net salary reached 1401 euros, which is 74.3% of the gross salary. Over the year, it increased by 4.4%. Taking into account the rise in prices, the real net salary grew by 1.1%. After the publication of the statistics, a Threads user named Davis decided to find out how much residents of the country actually earn and organized a survey about the official net salary for full-time work. A total of 4874 people participated. The discussion quickly turned into a debate about how common salaries above 1400 euros are in Latvia and whether such an amount is sufficient for a normal life. "Who are these people earning more than 1401 euros?" one participant inquired. In response, user Sunep suggested that around 40% of the working residents of the country earn above this amount. Another participant mentioned that she does not live in Latvia but recently earned about 100 euros after taxes for one day of work in field sales. According to her calculations, with 15–18 similar shifts a month, the income should exceed 1400 euros. She also noted that a salary of around 2000 euros for work requiring skills in design and marketing does not seem unusual to her. However, commentators pointed out that official statistics only account for declared income. If part of the earnings is paid unofficially, a person's real income may differ from the statistical data. Another argument was raised: the salary amount itself says little about the standard of living. It is important to consider how many people live on that money. An income of 1400 euros for one worker and the same amount for a family with children means completely different financial situations. Additionally, expenses are significantly influenced by housing costs, loans, transportation, child maintenance, and place of residence. Some results of the discussion were received emotionally. One user admitted that after comparing his salary with the incomes of other survey participants, he wondered what he was doing wrong. In response, he was reminded that salary levels depend on many circumstances, including profession, education, experience, and work tenure.
