EU Country Correction Coefficients 2026

What Are Correction Coefficients?

EU staff salaries are set using Brussels as the reference point, where the correction coefficient is 100.0. When an EU employee works in a different location, a correction coefficient adjusts their basic salary to reflect the local cost of living.

A coefficient above 100 means the location is more expensive than Brussels — your salary is adjusted upward. A coefficient below 100 means it is cheaper — your salary is adjusted downward.

The purpose is to ensure equivalent purchasing power for EU staff across all duty stations. Coefficients are proposed by Eurostat based on cost-of-living surveys and adopted annually by the Council of the European Union.

Current Coefficients Table

The following table shows indicative correction coefficients for EU member state capitals and key EU duty stations. Values are based on the most recently published Council figures.

How It Works — Worked Examples

Let us take an AD 5 Step 1 official with a basic monthly salary of €5,076 and see how the correction coefficient changes their pay in different locations:

The difference between the highest and lowest coefficient location is €3,284 per month for the same grade and step. Over a year, that is nearly €40,000 in gross salary difference.

What the Coefficient Covers

The correction coefficient applies to the basic salary only. Other components of the remuneration package are handled differently:

• Basic salary — Fully adjusted by the correction coefficient.
• Expatriation allowance (16%) — Calculated on the corrected basic salary, so it is indirectly affected.
• Household allowance — Also calculated on the corrected salary.
• Dependent child allowance — Fixed amount, not adjusted by coefficient.
• Education allowance — Fixed ceiling, not adjusted.
• Pension contributions — Based on the Brussels (uncorrected) salary. This is important: your pension accrues at the Brussels rate regardless of where you work.

Places Without a Standard Coefficient

Not all EU duty stations use the standard correction coefficient system:

EU Delegations (EEAS)

Staff posted to EU Delegations in third countries (e.g., Washington, Beijing, Nairobi) use a separate "weighting" system that also accounts for hardship, security risk, and living conditions. These weightings can be substantially higher than EU-internal coefficients.

JRC Sites

The Joint Research Centre has sites in Ispra (Italy), Karlsruhe (Germany), Geel (Belgium), Petten (Netherlands), and Seville (Spain). Each has its own specific coefficient based on the local area rather than the national capital.

Strasbourg

European Parliament staff working in Strasbourg use the French coefficient, but the cost of living in Strasbourg differs from Paris. Some staff find the Strasbourg coefficient less favourable relative to actual local costs.

Historical Trends

Correction coefficients evolve over time, reflecting changing economic conditions across Europe:

• Northern/Western European countries have generally seen coefficients increase or remain stable, driven by rising costs of living in capital cities.
• Eastern European countries have seen gradual increases in coefficients as their economies converge with Western Europe, though they remain well below 100.
• Eurozone countries show more stability than non-eurozone countries, where exchange rate fluctuations can cause significant year-to-year changes (particularly visible for Sweden and Denmark).
• Post-pandemic effects have introduced some volatility, with inflation differentials causing larger-than-usual annual adjustments in some locations.

Over the long term, the trend is toward convergence — but the gap between the highest and lowest coefficients remains significant and is unlikely to close within the next decade.