Singapore, September 9, 2026: Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will soon receive an annual salary of 3.6 million Singapore dollars ($2.8 million), equivalent to nearly Rs 27 crore, following a revision in salaries for ministers and other political officeholders.
The increase will be the first salary hike for ministers in 15 years. Wong, whose current salary is 2.2 million Singapore dollars ($1.7 million), said the government cannot attract top talent into politics if salaries remain unchanged.
Singapore ministers are among the world's highest-paid ministers. Under the revised framework, the benchmark annual pay for a minister at the lowest grade will rise to 1.8 million Singapore dollars ($1.42 million) from 1.1 million Singapore dollars ($868,330), The Associated Press quoted Wong as saying.
The salary revision will apply to ministers, while allowances for other lawmakers will also increase.
US President Donald Trump earns $400,000 a year, while Swiss President Guy Parmelin receives about $600,000.
How Singapore's Salary Hike Will Be Implemented
Ministers and other political officeholders will not immediately move to the new salary benchmark. Instead, they will receive a one-time adjustment of up to 9% from Oct 15, with the increase depending on performance and responsibilities.
Wong expects most ministers at the lowest grade to earn about 1.35 million Singapore dollars ($1.06 million) by the end of the current term. Salaries after that will vary based on performance and responsibilities, rather than automatically reaching the benchmark of 1.8 million Singapore dollars, he said.
Wong did not disclose his revised salary. However, a 9% adjustment would increase it to 2.4 million Singapore dollars ($1.89 million). He said he would donate his entire salary increase to charity for the next five years.
Lawrence Wong Defends Salary Revisions
Singapore has chosen to address political remuneration openly, with no hidden salary components or perks outside the published framework, Wong said.
“Good government did not come naturally to Singapore. It was built deliberately over many years. And there is nothing automatic about sustaining this,” he was quoted as saying.
The government understood why Singaporeans scrutinised ministers' salaries but argued that the issue could not be avoided simply because it was uncomfortable. Wong said ministerial salaries had increasingly fallen behind comparable earnings in the private sector and civil service, making a review necessary.
“Political salaries are a difficult and emotive issue — the sums involved are more than what most citizens earn,” Wong said in Parliament. “It is ultimately about whether Singapore will continue to have the quality of political leadership we need to take our country forward," he was quoted as saying by Bloomberg.
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Wong Says Pay Is Important To Attract Talent
Wong said he failed to persuade several corporate leaders, who earned several times a minister's salary, to enter politics before the 2025 election.
While pay was not cited as a reason for their decision, Wong said remuneration remained a relevant factor.
“I have not given up,” Wong said. “I am still looking and I hope to persuade a few to join us in the next election.”
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