Portugal sees largest gap between high and median wages in 2014: Eurostat

Portugal saw the largest gap between high and median wages in 2014, Eurostat said in a press release on Monday.

"The highest disparity on the upper end of the gross hourly earnings distribution in 2014 was registered in Portugal (with a D9/Median ratio of 2.8)," Eurostat said.

"This means that the 10 percent best-paid employees in Portugal earned almost three times as much the median," it added.

According to Eurostat, Portugal is followed by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland and Romania, Latvia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary and the United Kingdom.

Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, France, Malta and the Netherlands recorded the lowest disparity of gross hourly earnings, according to Eurostat.

Finance and insurance activities were among the three highest paying economic actives in EU countries, according to the report, except in Ireland.

Information and Communication was also among the three top paying, except in Belgium, Spain and Netherlands.

The lowest paying economic activities in all member states, except for in Spain, Malta and Slovenia, was accommodation and food.

Administrative support and services were also among the lowest paying with the exceptions of Hungary, Malta, Estonia, Cyprus and Latvia, Eurostat said. Endit