Social security contributions in Europe – ranking
How high is the employee share of social-security contributions? 19 countries ranked by the representative rate.
The highest employee social-security contribution is in France (22 %), the lowest in Netherlands (0 %). As of 2026.
| # | Country | Social security (employee) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 22 % |
| 2 | Germany | 21 % |
| 3 | Austria | 18.07 % |
| 4 | Poland | 13.71 % |
| 5 | Greece | 13.37 % |
| 6 | Belgium | 13.07 % |
| 7 | Luxembourg | 12.95 % |
| 8 | Czechia | 11.6 % |
| 9 | Switzerland | 11.5 % |
| 10 | Portugal | 11 % |
| 11 | Finland | 10.17 % |
| 12 | Italy | 9.19 % |
| 13 | United Kingdom | 8 % |
| 14 | Norway | 7.6 % |
| 15 | Sweden | 7 % |
| 16 | Spain | 6.5 % |
| 17 | Ireland | 4.2 % |
| 18 | Denmark | 0.2 % |
| 19 | Netherlands | 0 % |
Employee share in % of gross below contribution ceilings; low/zero values (e.g. NL, DK) mean the system is funded via income tax there – the columns are not simply additive.
As of 2026. General education, not tax advice. Rates and allowances change – seek professional advice before deciding.
Which country has the highest employee social-security contributions?
France at 22 % (as of 2026).
Why do some countries show 0% social contributions?
In countries like Netherlands, social security is mostly funded through income tax rather than separate employee contributions (as of 2026).
Can I simply add tax and social contributions?
No – the systems differ a lot; use the figures as a rough comparison, not tax advice.
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