Monday, February 2 2026 20:45
Karina Melikyan

Armenia sees double-digit public sector wage hikes amid mixed  economic growth

Armenia sees double-digit public sector wage hikes amid mixed  economic growth

ArmInfo.According to preliminary data from the RA Statistics Committee, nominal wages in Armenia in January-December 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, slowed in growth to 5.6% (from 6.4% in 2024 and 14.6% in 2023), averaging 303,140 drams ($783, compared to $731 in 2024 and $688 in  2023).  

Specifically, there has been a slowdown in the annual growth  of the average nominal wage (January- December 2025 compared to the  same period in 2024). This slowdown is observed in  both the private  sector - dropping from 5.7% to 5.1% (compared to 15% in 2023), and in  the public sector - from 7.9% to 6.5% (compared to 11.4% in 2023),  totaling 327,604 drams and 239,369 drams ($847 and $619, compared to  $794 and $572 in 2024, and $752 and $531 in 2023), respectively.

In December 2025, , average nominal wage growth in the country  accelerated slightly compared to December 2024, increasing from 6.2%  to 6.5%, thanks to a significant acceleration in public sector wage  growth from 4.6% to 14.1%, while private sector wage growth slowed  from 6.6% to 3.9%.

In December 2025, average nominal wage growth alone  accelerated  sharply from 5.1% to 22%, accompanied by a 56.3% jump in public  sector wages and a 13.1% increase in private sector wages. In  comparison, November saw a 0.4% decline in the public sector and a  6.7% increase in the private sector.  Similarly,  in December 2024  there was a similar acceleration in average nominal wage growth, from  5.3% to 21.5%, as a result of a 47.2% jump in public sector wages and  a 14.5% increase in private sector wages (compared to a 2% decline in  the public sector and a 7.5% increase in the private sector in  November).

According to statistics, in January-December 2025, economic activity  in Armenia accelerated in annual growth from 8% to 9.1%, accompanied  by an acceleration in growth in the construction sector-from 14.5% to  20.2%, in the agricultural sector-from 1.6% to 5.6%, and a subtle  slowdown in annual growth in the services sector-from 10.6% to 10.5%.  Meanwhile, the industrial sector managed to maintain growth at 4.7%,  while a slowdown in annual growth was recorded in the energy sector,  from 6.5% to 3.4%, and in the trade sector, from 17% to 3%.

Moreover, from December 2025 to December 2024, economic activity  accelerated more significantly, from 4.7% to 14%. The highest growth  rates were demonstrated by the industrial sector (38.6%) and  construction (20.5%), followed closely by the energy sector (8.5%),  the service sector (6.9%), and the trade sector (3.2%). A year  earlier, in December 2024 compared to December 2023, only the  industrial sector recorded a decline (by 14.8%), while other sectors  showed double-digit growth: services - 19.4%, construction - 12.9%,  energy - 12.8%, and trade - 10.3%.

It should be noted that the average dram exchange rate in  January-December 2025 was AMD 387.01 d/$1, compared to AMD392.73/$1  in January-December 2024.