Notes 6-10

10. Personnel expenses

In millions of EUR Note 2008 2007
Wages and salaries 1,519 1,290
Compulsory social security contributions 279 240
Contributions to defined contribution plans 10 11
Expenses related to defined benefit plans 26 78 82
Increase in other long-term employee benefits 3 8
Equity-settled share-based payment plan 27 11 7
Other personnel expenses 515 313
  2,415 1,951

The average number of employees during the year was:

  2008 2007
The Netherlands 3,971 3,909
Other Western Europe 18,245 11,575
Central and Eastern Europe 20,390 18,749
The Americas 1,956 1,797
Africa and the Middle East 10,667 9,516
Asia Pacific 979 893
Heineken N.V. and subsidiaries 56,208 46,439