Singapore PM Lawrence Wong to earn $2.8 million after 64% pay rise

Singapore will raise the salaries of its political leaders, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s annual pay package set to rise by about 64% to S$3.6 million ($2.8 million), maintaining his position as the world’s highest-paid political leader.

The changes, announced by Wong on Tuesday following an independent review, will take effect from October 15, as per the BBC.

Wong’s current annual package is S$2.2 million, while the benchmark for an entry-level minister will rise from S$1.1 million to S$1.8 million. 

Existing ministers will not immediately receive the full increase, instead getting a one-off adjustment of up to 9%, depending on individual circumstances, including performance. Most ministers remaining at the entry grade are expected to earn about S$1.35 million by the end of the current term.

Wong said higher salaries were necessary to attract capable people from the private sector and public service to political office. The government has long argued that competitive pay helps reduce incentives for corruption and supports effective governance.

“Overall, I believe this will give future prime ministers and me a better chance of persuading capable Singaporeans to step forward, and of building the strongest possible team for Singapore,” Wong said.

He will donate the full increase in his own salary to good causes for the next five years. “The Government will continue to pay me the salary provided for under the framework, which is how our system works. I will then donate the increase to suitable good causes,” he said.

The decision is politically sensitive in Singapore, where the median monthly income was S$5,775 in 2025. Critics online have described the increase as “tone deaf” amid concerns over inflation, job security and employment prospects for graduates. Retrenchments recently reached their highest level in more than five years.

High ministerial pay has long been contentious for the ruling People’s Action Party, which has governed Singapore since independence. After the PAP suffered its lowest vote share in decades in the 2011 election, partly amid voter dissatisfaction over ministers’ salaries and immigration, the government cut political pay in 2012. Salaries subsequently remained unchanged for 15 years.

The government continues to cite Singapore’s strong record on corruption as evidence supporting its remuneration system. Critics, however, argue that the vast gap between political salaries and ordinary incomes remains difficult to justify.

Some Singaporeans have nevertheless backed the increase, arguing that the country needs “the best of the best” to run the government.

By Tamilla Hasanova