The world's highest paid leader is set for a 64% pay rise. Here's how others compare

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong attends the 28th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit during the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 27, 2025. (Photo by Vincent Thian / POOL / AFP) (Photo by VINCENT THIAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Vincent Thian | Afp | Getty Images

Singapore's prime minister has commonly been cited as the world's highest paid elected leader. Now, incumbent Lawrence Wong will see the compensation gap between him and his global counterparts grow even wider.

Wong on Tuesday announced in the parliament that ministerial salaries will be adjusted upwards, having remained unchanged for 15 years.

Following the revisions, Wong's annual pay package will rise to 3.6 million Singapore dollars ($2.85 million) from SG$2.2 million.

The SG$3.6 million figure consists of both fixed and variable components, and Wong has pledged to donate his full salary increase to charity for five years, assuming he remains prime minister.

A quick comparison shows the gap between Wong and other world leaders is quite stark. The new package is just more than four times that of the Swiss president, and seven times the $400,000 salary paid to the U.S. president.

In fact, Wong's SG$3.6 million package is more than the combined statutory pay of the leaders of the U.S., , and A clean wage

Data from the that existing political officeholders will receive one-off adjustments of up to 9% from Oct. 15, based on factors including performance and when their salaries were last adjusted.

A minister currently receiving S$1.1 million could therefore initially see annual pay rise to around S$1.2 million rather than immediately reaching S$1.8 million.

Further adjustments will depend on individual performance and responsibilities, he said.

"Political salaries are a difficult and emotive issue," Wong said, adding that "The sums involved are more than what most citizens earn. So I understand why Singaporeans scrutinize them closely, and why many feel strongly about the matter. "

"But we run an open system and believe in being transparent about ministerial salaries. We cannot avoid this issue simply because it is politically difficult. "