Singaporean prime minister, world’s highest-paid leader, gets a 64% pay bump

Ministerial salaries in Singapore, already among the world’s highest, will go up even higher, increasing the prime minister’s annual pay 64% to $2.85 million.

SINGAPORE — Ministerial salaries in Singapore, already among the world’s highest, will go up starting Oct. 15, increasing the prime minister’s annual pay 64% to 3.6 million Singapore dollars ($2.85 million) from S$2.2 million, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Tuesday.

Singapore pays its political leaders high salaries to attract talent and deter graft, but the issue is thorny in the city-state, where the median wage worker made S$5,775 ($736) a month in 2025.

Wong acknowledged the sensitivity in a speech in parliament, saying political salaries were a difficult and emotive topic.

“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,” Wong said, adding that he would donate his increment to charity for the next five years.

But it was not just a matter of pay, he added.