The Labour Ministry has put an end to speculation about higher social security contribution increases for the self-employed in 2027. A provision in the draft bill on labour relations and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), which the ministry is promoting, provides for a further suspension of the Wage Change Index, postponing its introduction until 2028.
This means that around 1.4 million freelancers, self-employed people and farmers will see their contributions rise by about 3.5% from the start of 2027, in line with estimated inflation. The increase will range from about €9 to €24 a month, depending on the contribution category, and will amount to between €105 and €284 a year for main pension and healthcare contributions.
The decision rules out the prospect of a larger increase, which would have resulted from applying the Wage Index. Scenarios had pointed to increases of 4.25% or even 5.5%, with the additional annual cost for people insured in the sixth category reaching as much as €446.
The postponement until 2028 does not, however, mean the new adjustment mechanism has been abandoned. On the contrary, according to the proposed provision, the Labour Ministry’s aim is to introduce the Wage Index simultaneously in two key areas: both in setting social security contributions for the self-employed and in the mechanism for setting the minimum wage. This approach reflects the need to apply the new index consistently, without piecemeal measures or different timetables.
In other words, the ministry intends to activate the mechanism as a whole from 2028, once the necessary technical and institutional preparations have been completed. According to reports, the committee responsible for preparing the Index is also expected to resume its work in the coming days, with officials from both the ministry and the Hellenic Statistical Authority.
As a result, 2027 will be another transitional year for contributions paid by the self-employed, with inflation remaining the basis for calculating increases and the Wage Index now having a clear implementation date.
As noted above, assuming inflation of 3.5% in 2026, social security contributions for the self-employed will rise by about €9 to €24 a month from 1 January 2027.
More specifically, the contribution for the first category, covering main pension and healthcare, will rise to €259.55 from €250.77 today, while the figure for the second category will be €311.46. Contributions in the third category will reach €373.25, in the fourth €448.64 and in the fifth €537.63.
For people insured in the sixth and highest category, the monthly contribution will rise to €699.51, from €675.87 in 2026.
On an annual basis, the additional cost will range from about €105 for the first category to €284 for the sixth, confirming that using inflation as the basis for adjustments limits costs for the self-employed compared with applying the Wage Index.