In December 2024, Singaporean prime minister Lawrence Wong remains the best-paid head of government in the world with an annual salary of US$1.63 million (2.2 million Singapore dollars).

Germany’s Olaf Scholz is second in the chart, with an annual salary of around US$593,000 (€593,100).

Swiss president Viola Amherd is third-highest paid, with an annual pay packet of around US$543,000 (CHF 484,958) as the current head of Switzerland’s federal council, a role that rotates annually between the council’s seven members.

US president Joe Biden is fourth in the global pay charts, earning US$400,000 per year.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has dropped down to fifth place on the list.

He previously leapfrogged the US president in July 2024, but since then his salary in US dollars has decreased because of exchange rate fluctuations and the weak Australian dollar.

Albanese gets an annual salary of US$386,200 (AU$607,520).

Check out the World leaders map to see the salaries of other heads of government.