Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong is currently considered the world's most expensive prime minister. His salary has seen a record jump of 64%, bringing his annual salary to 269 million rupees.
Lawrence Wong is the world's most expensive PM.
When we hear the names of the world's politicians, it's natural to think that the higher their status, the higher their salaries. People often assume that, being a powerful nation, US President Donald Trump 's salary is likely higher than that of any other politician in the world, but that's not true. Today, we're going to tell you about a Prime Minister whose salary is many times higher than Trump's.
Here's Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Effective October 15th, his salary is set to increase by 64%. This substantial increase will take his annual income from S$2.2 million (approximately ₹164 million) to ₹3.6 million (approximately ₹269 million). With this salary increase, Wong has topped the salary rankings for heads of government worldwide. Several reports even claim that Singapore's Prime Minister is the highest-paid head of government in the world.
7 times more salary than Trump
At 3.6 million Singapore dollars (US$2.85 million) annually, Wong's monthly salary is approximately 300,000 Singapore dollars (approximately US$237,500 per month). This makes Wong's salary nearly seven times more than US President Donald Trump's annual salary (approximately $400,000).
Why are political leaders' salaries so high in Singapore?
Singapore has consistently defended the high salaries of political figures. Singapore believes that the country needs highly qualified people to run the country, minimizing the scope for corruption. Therefore, the government must pay them salaries equal to or better than those of CEOs of multinational companies, top lawyers, and bankers, because if political leaders' salaries are low, capable individuals will choose to enter the corporate sector rather than join government service.
Will donate the increased amount
The Prime Minister's salary hike is currently a topic of debate in Singapore. People are already reeling from the global economic downturn and layoffs. The public argues that a significant salary increase for the world's highest-paid leader is unjustified when a large part of the country is grappling with economic challenges.
In the face of massive public opposition, during the passage of the Salary Amendment Bill in Parliament on 8 September 2026, PM Wong announced that he would donate the increased salary hike of ₹105 million (S$1.4 million) for social and welfare purposes for the next five years (as long as he remains Prime Minister).
