Singapore's government is raising the salaries of its prime minister and other ministers, cementing Lawrence Wong's position as the world's highest-paid political leader. Wong's pay package will rise by S$1.4 million (roughly $1.1m; £818,000) to S$3.6 million a year, an increase of more than 60%, though he has pledged to donate the additional amount to charity over the next five years. The government argues higher pay is needed to attract top talent into politics and to deter corruption, but the move has drawn criticism amid public concern over job security and living costs.

Wong's current S$2.2 million salary already dwarfs that of other world leaders, including Hong Kong's John Lee ($719,000), Switzerland's Guy Parmelin ($606,000), US President Donald Trump ($400,000) and British PM Andy Burnham ($230,000). Ministers' base pay will rise from around S$1.1m to S$1.2m, potentially reaching S$1.35m with performance-linked increases tied to targets such as unemployment, income growth and GDP. The issue has long been contentious in Singapore, contributing to the ruling People's Action Party's worst election result in 2011 and a subsequent pay cut in 2012; this time, criticism has focused on the timing, given recent retrenchments have hit a five-year high alongside broader concerns about inflation and jobs for graduates.