Is Your Salary Keeping Up? A Look at Investment Power Across 34 Countries

Understanding how your earnings stack up against the broader economic landscape is crucial, especially when considering long-term financial goals like investing. A recent study by the online trading platform Taurex offers a fascinating, and perhaps sobering, look at this very topic. Their September 2026 report, based on OECD data, compared the purchasing power of average salaries across 34 countries against the cost of investing in stocks, gold, and Bitcoin between 2020 and 2025.

This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights for students, parents, and teachers alike, offering a clearer picture of global economic trends and their potential impact on personal financial planning. For young learners embarking on their financial literacy journey, understanding these dynamics can lay a strong foundation. For parents and teachers, it underscores the importance of financial education and strategic planning in an evolving market.

The Widening Gap: Salaries vs. Investments

According to Taurex, despite nominal wage growth in many regions, a significant gap has emerged between average salaries and the investment market. This means that even if a salary increases, its ability to purchase assets like stocks, gold, or Bitcoin might be diminishing. The study highlights that investment opportunities in gold and Bitcoin, in particular, are becoming increasingly difficult for regular workers to access, with purchasing power losing ground across all 34 analyzed countries.

One striking example cited by Taurex is Norway, where residents could reportedly afford 5.5 Bitcoins with their annual salary in 2020, but now cannot purchase even one token. This illustrates a broader trend where the value of these assets has outpaced wage growth in many parts of the world.

How the Study Was Conducted

Taurex's methodology involved analyzing OECD data on average salary changes from 2020 to 2025 across 34 countries. Each country's annual earnings were then measured against three investment options: a local stock market price index, the price of gold per ounce, and the price of Bitcoin. The report meticulously calculated the change in local currencies, showing the shift in the share of potential stock investment lost or gained, and the change in purchasing power for gold ounces and Bitcoin coins.

Countries Facing the Toughest Investment Headwinds

The report identifies several countries where average salaries have lost significant investment power. Taurex's findings reveal that Greece experienced the most substantial decline, with residents now able to put 56.6% less into the stock market compared to 2020. An annual Greek salary, which could buy 10.4 ounces of gold in 2020, could only purchase 6.2 ounces in 2025 – a 41% decrease. Bitcoin purchasing power saw an even sharper fall, dropping almost eightfold.

Slovenia followed, with a 45.4% drop in stock purchasing power. While average salaries are higher than in Greece, the ability to invest in gold has also significantly decreased, from 17.1 ounces in 2020 to 12.4 ounces in 2025, according to Taurex. The Czech Republic ranked third, where an annual salary could buy 1.75 Bitcoin coins five years ago, but now amounts to less than a third of a single coin.

Other countries in the top ten facing significant challenges include Japan, Israel, Italy, Norway, Spain, Canada, and Ireland. In Japan, for instance, an annual salary that could purchase 3.9 Bitcoin coins in 2020 now buys only a third of one. Similarly, gold purchasing power for Japanese salaries dropped from 24.7 ounces to just 10 ounces over the same period, according to the report.

What This Means for Financial Planning

These findings from Taurex underscore the dynamic nature of global markets and the importance of financial literacy. For students, understanding these trends can highlight the value of saving, investing wisely, and continuously learning about economic shifts. COSMIQ, a free voice AI tutor, is available to every K-12 student, offering support across subjects, including math and economics concepts that can help demystify these complex topics. Exploring resources like the free practice hub by grade and subject can also strengthen foundational skills relevant to financial understanding.

A market analyst from Taurex commented on the findings, explaining that while many workers might have received pay raises that outpaced inflation, this framing can be misleading. The analyst pointed out that the S&P 500 more than doubled between 2020 and 2024, gold hit record highs, and Bitcoin multiplied many times over. This suggests that while salaries might be growing, they are often not keeping pace with the rapid appreciation of certain investment assets.

Interestingly, the analyst noted that some smaller local markets, including Latvia, New Zealand, and Finland, recorded stronger leads. While their own stocks may not have moved as dramatically as global markets, they reportedly offered good opportunities to build wealth that other countries are now lacking.

Looking Ahead

The Taurex report offers a valuable snapshot of the current economic landscape, emphasizing the challenges many individuals face in building wealth through traditional investment avenues. It serves as a powerful reminder that financial planning, diversification, and a continuous understanding of market trends are more important than ever. As we navigate 2026 and beyond, staying informed and adaptable will be key to financial well-being.

COSMIQ is proud to celebrate organizations like Taurex for their rigorous and insightful work in shedding light on important global economic trends. Such research empowers individuals and educators with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions and prepare for the future.