Singapore's PM gets 64 percent pay rise - earns four times more than Trump

The wealthy financial city of Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong earns more than most politicians in the world.

Even before Singapore's parliament on Tuesday decided to raise his annual salary by around ten million kroner, it was, for example, four times as high as American President Donald Trump's. And the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's remuneration of SEK 211,000 per month, SEK 2.5 million per year, paled in comparison.

Now the gap with other politicians is getting even bigger. Wong's new salary of around SEK 27 million a year is an increase of 64 percent. Other ministers in the government receive a salary increase of up to 9 percent.

The decision in Parliament is said to have been made following the recommendation of an independent committee which compared politicians' salaries with the 1,000 highest earners in Singapore.

Singapore justifies the high salaries as needed to attract talented people to politics, especially after the gap between what political leaders and business executives earn has widened in recent years.

High remuneration is also seen as a means of countering political corruption, which is common in many Asian countries. And looking at the International Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025, it seems to be working. There, Singapore is the third least corrupt country in the world.

At the same time, the latest wage increase sticks out in the eyes of many residents of Singapore, where the median wage is around SEK 43,000 a month. The criticism in social media is extensive. Many struggle with increased living costs and the job market is uncertain. Political analyst Eugene Tan told CNN that the decision is "tone deaf" at a time when many fear losing their jobs due to new technologies like AI.

Wong says he understands that his salary stirs up emotions. Nevertheless, he believes that it is necessary.

"It is ultimately about whether Singapore will continue to have the high-quality political leadership that we need to move our country forward and serve Singaporeans well for many years to come," Wong said in connection with the decision, while also announcing that he will donate his salary increase to charity.

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