The minimum wage expected for 2026 already has an estimate defined in the PLOA (Annual Budget Bill) sent by the government to Congress. The proposal will still be analyzed by deputies and senators, who need to approve the budget and send the final text for approval by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva by December 22nd.
According to the projection, the national floor should reach R,631 in 2026, the result of an adjustment estimated at 7.44% over the current value, which represents an increase of R$113, if confirmed.
Economist Silvia Matos, professor of Economics and Finance at FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), explains that the PLOA brings together all the federal government’s revenue and expenditure forecasts for the following year. Among them is the definition of the minimum wage, which follows an annual correction rule.
Will the Minimum Wage increase in 2026? Find out new value: Corresponds to the gross value
The floor calculation considers two components: the INPC, which measures inflation, and GDP growth, an indicator that shows the country’s economic performance. For the 2026 value, the government uses the inflation accumulated in the previous year and the real increase in GDP recorded in the previous two years. The information is from Valor.
Silvia highlights that there is a limit to the real earnings of the minimum wage. A law sanctioned in December 2024 establishes that the increase based on GDP cannot exceed 2.5%, even if the economy grows above that.
Labor lawyer Ivo Ary Meier Júnior, from Ciscato Advogados Associados, recalls that the minimum wage applies to workers hired under CLT rules. Self-employed professionals or those hired as a legal entity (PJ) can negotiate their values directly, as they are not entitled to the national minimum wage.
The value of R$1,631 corresponds to the gross salary, on which only the mandatory INSS deduction applies, set at 7.5% for those who receive the minimum wage. Other rebates, such as transportation vouchers, meal vouchers, alimony or payroll loans, vary depending on the individual contract. Workers who earn the minimum do not pay Income Tax and also do not have a FGTS discount.
