Singapore PM Lawrence Wong will earn an annual salary of $3.6 million ($2.85 million), which is higher than that of other major world leaders.
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is about to become one of highest paid world's political leaders.
Under his plan, he will donate the additional amount to suitable good causes for the next five years, provided he remains prime minister.
File image/ReutersIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earns Rs 1.66 lakh a month, or roughly Rs 20 lakh a year.
AdvertisementThe Indian prime minister receives official accommodation at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg and security cover, among other facilities.
Singapore PM Lawrence Wong will earn an annual salary of $3.6 million ($2.85 million), which is higher than that of other major world leaders. In comparison, Donald Trump makes $400,000. How about PM Narendra Modi?
Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is about to become one of highest paid world's political leaders. The city-state is raising his annual benchmark salary from $2.2 million to $3.6 million, roughly $2.8 million (Rs 26.55 crore), in a move that will widen the gap between his pay and that of other heads of government
The increase, announced by Wong on September 8, will take effect from October 15. The new salary is more than 60 per cent higher than his current pay. Reuters reported that the revision will make Wong the world's highest-paid political leader.
Wong, however, has said he will not personally keep the increase. Under his plan, he will donate the additional amount to suitable good causes for the next five years, provided he remains prime minister.
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Singapore's government has defended its high political salaries as a way of attracting capable people into public service and maintaining good governance.
So, how much do other major world leaders earn?
Singapore: Lawrence Wong — US$2.8 million
Wong's new annual benchmark salary will be $3.6 million, equivalent to about US$2.8 million. His current salary is $2.2 million.
The increase follows a review by an independent committee, the first major revision of Singapore's political salaries in 15 years. The government has accepted the recommendation to raise the benchmark for an entry-level minister from $1.1 million to $1.8 million.
Wong acknowledged that political pay is a sensitive issue in Singapore. "Political salaries are a difficult and emotive issue," he said in Parliament.
"The sums involved are more than what most citizens earn, so I understand why Singaporeans scrutinise them closely, and why many feel strongly about the matter," Wong added.
But he argued that the question was ultimately about maintaining the quality of Singapore's political leadership. "Good government depends on good leadership," Wong said.
Hong Kong: John Lee — about $719,000
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee remains among the world's highest-paid political leaders, although his annual remuneration is far below Wong's revised package. Lee earns about $719,000 (Rs 6.84 crore) a year. Lee remains Hong Kong's chief executive in 2026.
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The comparison is slightly different from the others because Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China rather than a sovereign country. Nevertheless, its chief executive regularly appears in international comparisons of political salaries.
Switzerland: Guy Parmelin — about $606,000
Switzerland's presidency works differently from the executive presidencies of countries such as the US. The Swiss president is elected for a one-year term from among the seven members of the Federal Council.
In 2026, that position is held by Guy Parmelin, who was elected on 10 December 2025. Reuters reported that his annual pay at about $606,000 (Rs 5.76 crore), placing him below Hong Kong's chief executive but substantially above most other leaders in the comparison.
US: Donald Trump — $400,000
US President Donald Trump receives $400,000 a year along with other benefits. File image/Reuters
US President Donald Trump receives the same presidential salary that has been in place since 1999: $400,000 a year.
A 2025 Yahoo Finance report noted that the president also has a $50,000 expense account, along with allowances for travel and entertainment. The presidential salary itself has remained at $400,000 since 1999.
Trump's position in the current comparison is unchanged even as Singapore's political pay moves sharply higher. Wong's new benchmark salary is roughly seven times the US president's annual salary.
China: Xi Jinping — $22,000
China’s President Xi Jinping monthly pay rose from 7,020 yuan to 11,385 yuan in 2015, taking his annual basic salary to roughly $22,000. File image/Reuters
China’s President Xi Jinping received a 62 per cent increase in his basic salary in 2015, according to a BBC report published that year. His monthly pay rose from 7,020 yuan to 11,385 yuan, taking his annual basic salary to roughly $22,000 at the time.
increase applied to six other senior Communist Party officials as well, while civil servants across China also received their first pay revision since 2006. The move came as Beijing was pursuing a major anti-corruption drive and looking to improve productivity.
UK: Andy Burnham — about $230,000
Figures cited in the latest salary comparison put the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s annual pay at about $230,000. That places the British leader far below Wong's revised package, and also below the salaries cited for Hong Kong and Switzerland.
India: Narendra Modi — about Rs 1.66 lakh a month
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earns Rs 1.66 lakh a month, or roughly Rs 20 lakh a year. File image/Reuters
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earns Rs 1.66 lakh a month, or roughly Rs 20 lakh a year. It comprises a basic salary of Rs 50,000, an expense allowance of Rs 3,000, a parliamentary allowance of Rs 45,000 and a daily allowance of Rs 2,000.
That figure is dramatically lower than the compensation offered to Singapore's prime minister. Even after Wong's latest increase, Modi's official salary remains a fraction of what the Singaporean leader receives.
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The Indian prime minister receives official accommodation at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg and security cover, among other facilities.
Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif — about Rs 5.5 lakh a month
According ABP News, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's monthly salary had risen to around Rs 5.5 lakh, taking his annual pay above Rs 6 million. It also listed benefits including official accommodation, vehicles, security and expenses related to the prime minister's official residence.
The report further said that Sharif and his cabinet had decided not to take their salaries and allowances, against the backdrop of Pakistan's economic difficulties.
With inputs from agencies
