Germany introduces a statutory minimum wage
From 1 January 2015 a federal statutory minimum wage of 8.50 euros applied under the 2014 MiLoG, a grand-coalition act. In the causal graph this event strengthens Household Purchasing Power, a driver that weakens Global Consumer Price Inflation (annual %) — a worsening welfare path.
Read the full account
From 1 January 2015 a federal statutory minimum wage of 8.50 euros applied under the 2014 MiLoG, a grand-coalition act. It is a completed labour-price statute, later indexed.
Who was responsible
Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.
Angela Merkel
PersonDirect responsibility
responsibility level 0.55 · verified
The SPD made it a coalition condition. She signed the coalition and kept the statute.
What changed
Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.
- FactGermany introduces a statutory minimum wage
- strengthensDriverHousehold Purchasing Power
- weakensIndicators (2)Global Consumer Price Inflation (annual %)
impact weight 0.5 · Effect from 1 January 2015 · verified
A statutory wage floor raises pay for previously uncovered low-wage work, with a lag into hours and prices.
Weakens · Relationship strength 0.2 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.4)
Observed
5.8 annual % change in CPI · 2.3 above the normal line (2024)
Better than normal5 readings, 2020–2024: rose from 3.3 annual % change in CPI to 5.8 annual % change in CPI.
Moving normal line
- Better
Weakens · Relationship strength 0.17 (weight 0.5 × strength 0.35)
Observed
10.4% · 10.2 above the normal line (2024)
Worse than normal7 readings, 2018–2024: fell from 11.1% to 10.4%.
Above normal = worse
Evidence
The sources behind this fact and its verification state.
- 1.Destatis — minimum wagesDestatis · High credibility · verified
- 2.MiLoG — Minimum Wage ActGesetze im Internet · High credibility · verified
Causal path
How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.
- ActorAngela Merkel
- contributed toFactGermany introduces a statutory minimum wage
- strengthensDriverHousehold Purchasing Power
- weakensIndicatorGlobal Consumer Price Inflation (annual %)
Cite this page
Factrail. (2026). Germany introduces a statutory minimum wage. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/de-minimum-wage-2015
https://factrail.ai/facts/de-minimum-wage-2015
Accessed 16 October 2026.
By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed
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