Published : 09 Sep 2026, 05:13 AM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:48 AM
Singapore is set to raise the annual salaries of its ministers and other political office holders, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who is already the world's highest-paid political leader.
Wong's annual pay will rise from S$2.2 million (US$1.7 million) to S$3.6 million (US$2.8 million), an increase of more than 60 percent, the BBC reported. He has said he will donate the S$1.4 million (US$1.1 million) increase to charity over the next five years.
He remains by far the world's highest-paid political leader even before the increase, earning substantially more than other national leaders, including the US president and British prime minister.
The Singaporean premier said higher salaries were needed to attract capable people into politics and make it easier for them to leave lucrative careers in business or public service, an argument long backed by the government.
"We do not make the financial hurdle unnecessarily high for talented Singaporeans to give up their careers and enter politics,” Wong was quoted as saying by the BBC.
Under the new scheme, ministers’ base pay will rise from about S$1.1 million (US$860,000) to S$1.2 million (US$940,000), with many expected to earn around S$1.35 million (US$1.1 million) by the end of the current government term based on performance.
Part of ministers’ pay is linked to national targets, including unemployment, income growth and GDP growth.
According to the BBC, Singapore's high ministerial salaries have long drawn criticism, particularly as the median monthly income is S$5,775 (US$4,500).
The issue was a factor in public discontent during the 2011 election, after which the government cut ministers' pay.
The latest increase has renewed public debate amid concerns over inflation, job security, and retrenchments.
Some online commenters described the decision as "tone deaf", while others argued that Singapore needed "the best of the best" to run the country.
The Singapore government defends its pay system by citing the country's consistently strong performance in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.
