Nominal Wages in the CIS Show Steady Growth
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lead with the highest growth rates
Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have recorded the highest growth in nominal average wages in the CIS, with increases of 27.5% and 20.3%, respectively, compared to the first half of last year.
Experts fr om the GCTU analyzed wage data in the CIS, published in the latest report Socio-Economic Situation of the CIS Countries in the First Half of 2026 by the CIS Statistical Committee.
In the first half of 2026, the CIS maintained steady positive growth in nominal wages. According to the CIS Statistical Committee, wage growth compared to the same period last year was recorded in all member states ranging from 5.5% in Armenia to 27.5% in Kyrgyzstan. The highest average monthly incomes were traditionally in Russia, wh ere the average nominal wage in dollar terms was $1,390 in May 2026, and Belarus, with $1,006 in June. Tajikistan ranked last, with an average wage of $353. However, the lowest wages in Tajikistan were recorded in the agricultural sector, at just 41% of the national average.
Critically low wage indices in the same sector were observed in Kazakhstan (65%), Azerbaijan (64%), and Moldova (64%) of the national average.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are industries with traditionally high wages. In Azerbaijan, workers in the mining industry earn 375% of the national average wage, while in Armenia, the highest earners are in finance (303%). In Belarus, the highest wages are in the information and communication sector (218%).
Meanwhile, real wages, adjusted for inflation, also increased in most CIS countries during the analyzed period. Tajikistan demonstrated the highest growth in real incomes at 16%. The exception, as in the previous year, was Kazakhstan, where real wages declined by 2.3%.
Significant differentiation also persists in minimum wage levels. In dollar terms, the highest minimum wage is in Moldova ($356) and Russia ($348), while the lowest is in Kyrgyzstan ($37).
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