A study by Slot.Day ranked the ten highest-paid world leaders, comparing their salaries against their respective nations' GDP per capita to standardize comparisons across economies.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong tops the list as the world's highest-paid leader, earning $1.6 million annually—nearly 1.5 times the country’s GDP per capita of $84.7K, according to Slot.Day.
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, ranks second with a $695K salary, more than 1.1 times Hong Kong's GDP per capita but less than half of Wong’s earnings. Switzerland’s President, Viola Amherd, follows in third place, earning $572K, which is less than half of the country's GDP per capita of $99.9K.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ranks fourth with a $413K salary, equating to 53% of the nation’s GDP per capita. U.S. President Donald Trump takes the fifth spot with a $400K salary—only 40% of the U.S. GDP per capita of $81.6K, the lowest ratio among the top 10.
The study by Slot.Day study revealed that in sixth place, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen earns $364K, about 50% of the EU’s GDP per capita. Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer ranks seventh with a $317K salary, or 47% of Austria's GDP per capita.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ranks eighth, earning $311K, or 53% of the country's GDP per capita—the same ratio as his Australian counterpart. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ninth with a $301.4K salary, reflecting a salary-to-GDP ratio of 47.06%.
Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz rounds out the top ten with a $293.7K salary, maintaining the European norm at 46% of GDP per capita.
A spokesperson for Slot.Day said: “The vast differences in world leader salaries show how nations prioritize executive compensation in relation to economic output. While some leaders earn well above their country’s GDP per capita, others operate within stricter public service norms."
They continued: "The uniformity of European salary ratios around 47% suggests a structured approach to governance pay, contrasting sharply with regions where leadership compensation far exceeds national averages. These disparities reflect broader political philosophies—whether leadership is seen as a high-value executive role or a duty bound by fiscal restraint."
The entire dataset from the report can be found here.
