In brief
Singapore announced a raise for its top officials, boosting the prime minister’s salary from S$2.2 million to S$3.6 million. Lawrence Wong will donate the extra S$1.4 million to charity over five years. The move aims to attract talent and curb corruption, yet critics warn it widens economic inequality. Internationally, the PM remains the highest paid political leader.
Highest paid world leader to get salary increase of $1 million
Singapore’s government will raise the annual salaries of ministers and other public office holders, including its prime minister, the highest paid political leader in the world.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will receive an additional 1.4 million Singapore dollars (about $1.1 million) in his annual package, which he said will be donated to charity over the next five years.
Wong argues that higher pay is necessary to attract talented individuals and to prevent corruption, citing Singapore’s consistently low corruption perception index.
The announcement has sparked criticism amid concerns over job security and rising living costs, with many citizens feeling the high salaries of ministers are disconnected from the median monthly income of 5,775 Singapore dollars.
Even before the raise, Wong was the highest paid political leader worldwide, earning 2.2 million SGD per year; the increase will lift his total to 3.6 million SGD, a boost of over 60%.
Other top earners include Hong Kong chief executive John Lee at about $719,000, Swiss President Guy Parmelin at $606,000, U.S. President Donald Trump at $400,000, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at $230,000.
Wong noted the difficulty in persuading business leaders and senior civil servants to enter politics, stating that while the base pay for ministers is about 1.1 million SGD, it will rise to roughly 1.2 million SGD, with many receiving around 1.35 million SGD by the end of the term, contingent on performance and national targets.
The issue of high ministerial salaries has long been a flashpoint for the ruling People's Action Party, which previously cut salaries in 2012 after a 2011 election that saw its lowest vote share in decades.
Despite warnings that such salaries could lead to a tone‑deaf perception amid layoffs and inflation, a minority of Singaporeans applaud the move, believing it is essential to attract the best talent to run the country.
