New IMSEE data shows that wages rose across the board in 2025, though women remain significantly underrepresented among the highest earners.
The average gross monthly salary in Monaco’s private sector reached €5,195 in 2025, a rise of 5.4% or €265 compared with the previous year, according to new figures published by IMSEE, the Principality’s statistics institute. The median salary — the point at which half of private sector employees earn more and half earn less — stood at €3,475, up 4.1% or €136 on 2024.
The single largest salary band was €2,500 to €3,000 per month, which accounted for one in five employees, at 20.1% of the workforce. The next most common bands were €3,000 to €3,500 at 16.3% and €2,000 to €2,500 at 13.6%. At the top end, 2.9% of employees earned more than €15,000 per month and a further 3.3% earned between €10,000 and €15,000.
Sector disparities
The gap between Monaco’s highest and lowest paying sectors is considerable. Financial and insurance activities recorded the highest median gross monthly salary at €6,858, followed by professional, scientific and technical activities at €4,697 and IT, telecommunications and media at €4,373.
At the other end of the scale, administrative and support service activities returned the lowest median at €2,764, followed by other service activities at €3,028 and real estate activities at €3,097.
Gender gap persists
Women’s median salary was 4.1% higher than men’s, at €141 more per month on a full-time equivalent basis. However, the average salary for women was 18.1% lower than for men, a gap of €1,010 per month — a disparity that reflects the concentration of women in lower-paid roles. Women accounted for just 16.5% of the top 1% of earners in the private sector.
The data is drawn from the Caisses Sociales de Monaco and is calculated on a full-time equivalent basis, with gross salary figures including bonuses before deductions.
Bradley Cooper attended the 15th Grand Prix de Monaco Historique on Sunday 26 April, drawing considerable attention as he made his way through the paddock and stands, photographing the vintage cars — at times lying on the circuit itself to capture them from below.
Among those he encountered were footballer Paul Pogba, pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis, French comedian Roman Frayssinet, Formula One drivers Nico Hülkenberg and Fernando Alonso, and Pierre Casiraghi.
A working visit
The trip carries an obvious professional dimension. At CinemaCon on 16th April, Margot Robbie confirmed that the forthcoming Ocean’s prequel — in which she stars alongside Cooper — will centre on the parents of Danny Ocean pulling off a heist at the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix.
Cooper is writing, directing, and starring in the film, which is set for release on 25 June 2027. He will produce alongside Robbie’s LuckyChap banner.
The film will not follow Danny Ocean directly but instead focus on his parents, the characters presumably played by Cooper and Robbie.
The 1962 Monaco Grand Prix was the second round of nine in that year’s Formula One World Championship, won by Bruce McLaren aboard a Cooper-Climax ahead of Ferrari drivers Phil Hill and Lorenzo Bandini.
Whether Sunday’s visit constituted a formal location scout has not been confirmed. No details have been released regarding Monaco-based filming.
Monaco United continue their remarkable season, securing a place in the Marenco Cup final with a 4-0 victory over AS Cannes on Sunday 26 April.
After already becoming District 06 champions and qualifying for the Mediterranean Cup final, the team remains firmly on track, with another objective now within reach.
This semi-final presented a significant test against a Cannes side competing one level higher. Although there were several absences from regular starters, Marco Simone’s team approached the match with confidence and composure. In recent weeks, the squad has developed strong cohesion and fluid movement, allowing them to maintain their playing identity even with a rotated lineup.
From the opening minutes, Monaco United imposed control, dominating possession and creating promising attacking sequences. However, Cannes’ defense, combined with strong goalkeeping, kept the score level at 0-0 at halftime.
Patience proved key. Simone’s message at the break was simple: remain composed and continue to exploit spaces intelligently. Captain Rachel Robert opened the scoring early in the second half, shifting the momentum. Monaco United then increased their intensity and efficiency, with Sarah Magnier scoring twice to extend their lead. Robert later added her second goal of the match, sealing the 4-0 victory.
With this result, Monaco United advance to the Marenco Cup final, where they will face Villeneuve-Loubet, offering another opportunity to cap an already impressive season.
A decisive end to the season ahead
Attention now turns to a demanding and decisive end to the season.
The first major date is the Mediterranean Cup final on Saturday 16 May in Cagnes-sur-Mer, where Monaco United will face Olympique de Marseille’s reserve team in a high-level encounter.
Competing at district level, Monaco United have become the first team at this level to reach the Mediterranean Cup final, eliminating sides from higher divisions along the way.
Before that, the team will benefit from a two-week break from official competition, providing valuable time to recover, refine their approach, and strengthen cohesion.
Promotion to the regional level will then be at stake, with playoffs scheduled over two legs on 24 and 31 May. While their opponent has not been confirmed, the objective remains the same: secure promotion and continue the club’s upward trajectory.
The season will conclude with the Marenco Cup final, offering one final chance to take home the championship this season.
The Monte-Carlo Television Festival unveiled its 65th edition at a press conference held at the Médiathèque Caroline in Monaco on Tuesday, confirming a line-up that spans honorary awards for Kurt Russell and Dame Kristin Scott Thomas, the international premiere of The Walking Dead: Dead City season three, and jury chairs drawn from across the global television industry.
Held under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II, the Festival runs from 12th to 16th June at the Grimaldi Forum. Executive Director Cécile Menoni framed the anniversary as both a celebration and a statement of intent. “This 65th edition embodies both our commitment to our heritage and our determination to fully embrace the ongoing transformation of television,” she said. “More than ever, the Festival is a place for encounters, discoveries and recognition of the talents shaping the stories of tomorrow.”
Opening night
The Festival opens on 12th June with the international premiere of the first two episodes of The Walking Dead: Dead City season three, produced by AMC Studios, in the presence of stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan alongside showrunner Seth Hoffman. The series, which sees Maggie and Negan attempt to build the first thriving community in post-apocalyptic Manhattan, is due to air on AMC and AMC+ in summer 2026.
“This is the best edition of the Monte-Carlo Television Festival since I began running it in 2012,” Laurent Puons, General Manager of Monaco Mediax, told Monaco Life. “The line-up will make this edition truly special.”
The Walking Dead: Dead City will premier at this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
Honours and awards
Dame Kristin Scott Thomas will receive the Crystal Nymph Award in recognition of a career spanning film, television and theatre. Kurt Russell will be presented with the same honour for a body of work that has left a lasting mark on global entertainment.
Spanish actress Ester Expósito, known for her breakout role in Netflix’s Elite, receives the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent, as does British actor Matthew Broome, whose recent work in My Fault: London and The Buccaneers has established him as one of the more closely watched young performers in the industry. French television institution Michel Drucker will be presented with the Honorary Nymph Award for six decades of contribution to the medium.
The Golden Nymph Awards Ceremony takes place on 16th June and will be broadcast live on TV Monaco.
Hosting the press conference on Tuesday were Radio Monaco personality Charlie Nestor, together with General Manager of Monaco Mediax Laurent Puons and Executive Director Cécile Menoni. Photo credit: Cassandra Tanti
Public programme and familiar faces
All fiction nominees will be screened at the Grimaldi Forum and are open to the public. Out-of-competition screenings include Les Derniers Jours de Charles Baudelaire, directed by Arielle Dombasle, presented with the cast in attendance.
Fan events will bring cast members from Un Si Grand Soleil, The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless to the Principality, alongside Zeeko Zaki from FBI and Nick Gehlfuss from CIA.
“We are an international festival, but we have always had a very strong relationship with American television, and each year we welcome a great deal of American talent — because that is exactly what the fans want,” Puons told Monaco Life.
The week will also see the world premiere of a 52-minute documentary, Monte-Carlo, a Festival and 65 Years of Television, produced by Theorem and TV Monaco, tracing the event’s history from its founding by Prince Rainier III in 1961 to the streaming era.
Industry forum
The Business Forum returns as the Festival’s professional platform, with sessions on artificial intelligence in creative workflows, audience fragmentation, the creator economy and the economics of premium television. A masterclass led by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning producer Tom Jennings will focus on factual storytelling, and the second season of the ‘Tell Me A Story!’ pitch contest concludes with its finale during the week.
Laurent Puons, General Manager of Monaco Mediax, said the Festival remained “a unique point of convergence for talent, creators, broadcasters and audiences,” adding that the 65th edition reflected the organisation’s ambition “to support the transformation of the industry while celebrating excellence and creativity on a global scale.”
Britta Jaschinski, a British-German wildlife photojournalist, has won the grand prize of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s 2026 Environmental Photography Award for her image Handprint on Sea Turtle, which took first place in the Changemakers category before being selected as the overall winner by an international jury.
The photograph documents a forensic method used to identify and prosecute wildlife poachers and traffickers, with a handprint visible on the shell of a green sea turtle. Jaschinski, whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Time and GEO, said the image was intended to highlight “the fragility of species but also the vital role of science in protecting our extraordinary wildlife.”
Category winners
Five category prizes of €1,000 each were awarded across the competition. Arnaud Farré won the Forests category with Spirits of the Falls and also claimed the Student’s Choice Award for Up is Down, which carries a €500 grant. Fernando Faciole took the Humanity vs Nature prize for Born for the Ocean, Fated to the Flames. Henley Spiers won the Ocean category with Shearwater’s Dilemma, and Vadim Makhorov claimed the Polar Regions prize for The Gathering.
The Public Award, also carrying a €500 grant, went to Doug Gimesy for Koalas are Dying for You to Slow Down. The Student’s Choice Award winner additionally receives the opportunity to visit SEK International University’s research station in the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador.
On public display from May
The 36 shortlisted photographs will be exhibited on the Promenade du Larvotto in Monaco from 28th May to 30th July before touring internationally. A book featuring all selected images will be published by Skira Paris.
Vadim Makhorov – The Gathering – Polar regions category winner
Now in its sixth year, the Environmental Photography Award forms part of the Foundation’s Green Shift Initiative. Romain Ciarlet, vice-chairman and CEO of the Foundation, said the award aimed to “amplify the voices of those who bear witness in the field and to inspire a collective commitment to protecting the living world.”
To see all the images in the 2026 selection: click here
The Villa and Gardens Ephrussi de Rothschild at Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat hosts the 15th edition of its Fête des roses et des plantes on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May, with a programme spanning plant sales, workshops, live performances and guided tours across the seven-hectare estate.
The rose takes centre stage, as it has since Béatrice de Rothschild — daughter of Baron Alphonse de Rothschild and an ardent horticulturalist — cultivated the flower across the property she built between 1907 and 1912. Nine of the estate’s gardens carry the Ministry of Culture’s “jardin remarquable” classification.
“Béatrice de Rothschild designed one of the most beautiful gardens in the world around her dream villa,” said Muriel Mayette-Holtz, director of the Villa and Gardens Ephrussi de Rothschild. “The rose occupies a central place here — queen of flowers and symbol of love.”
Plants, workshops and performances
The French garden will host an expo-vente bringing together horticulturalists, rose growers and nursery specialists. Children can take part in workshops to decorate flower pots, create a plant fresco or study garden insects, while adults are offered osier weaving, floral composition and an olfactory workshop.
The programme also includes artistic performances across the grounds. The voice and accordion duo Deux Elles will perform in the patio, while dancer Julia Zolynski will present a poetic choreography beside the fountain. In the Florentine garden, actors Elise Clary, Laurent Prévost and Hervé Van Der Meulen will revisit classic texts including Les Malheurs de Sophie and Les Contes du chat perché.
Thematic guided tours — covering subjects including the Rothschild table, the Baroness’s gardens and the villa’s art collection — will be led by the gardening team and the collections department throughout the weekend.
Admission
Entry is €20 for adults and €12 for students and young people aged seven to 18. The ticket includes access to the villa and its full art collection. The full programme is available at villa-ephrussi.com.
