Singapore's political leaders are getting a raise for the first time in 15 years, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Tuesday, adding more than 60% to what are already the world's highest ministerial salaries.
Singapore has justified high-end salaries for its political leaders, arguing they attract talent and deter graft, but the issue is thorny in the city-state, where the median wage worker made 5,775 Singapore dollars ($4,558) a month in 2025.
Wong told Parliament that under a revised salary 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 prime minister's benchmark salary will jump to 3.6 million Singapore dollars ($2.8 million) from 2.2 million Singapore dollars ($1.7 million), he said.
The government ministers who will receive raises are elected lawmakers who lead ministries and help make national policies, while allowances for other lawmakers will also increase.
