Ideally politicians earn higher than the average citizens. Ideally the countries with highest GDP per capita have the highest paid leaders. But that’s rarely the case. Because if it was, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg should have been the highest paid political leader of the world, except the leaders’ salaries rarely align with the country’s GDP per capita in real world scenario. Here’s a list of top 10 highest paid heads of the State which will make you cringe under the desk.

The highest paid world leaders

1. Lee Hsien Loong – Singapore

Lee Hsien Loong is the leader of People’s Action Party and took charge of Prime Minister’s office in 2004. He graduated from Trinity College, and later did Masters of Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. His salary is, hold your breath, $1,700,000 or Rs. 12 crore!

2. Barack Obama – USA

The man who needs to introduction earned $400,000 or Rs. 2.4 crore during his term the President of the United States. We are awaiting the revised salary information of President Trump. God bless America!

 

3. Malcolm Turnbull – Australia

The 29th Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the Liberal Party draws $396,000 or Rs. 2.4 crore as his salary, and is number three of the list of the highest paid world leaders.

4. Michael D. Higgins – Ireland

As current and ninth President of Ireland Higgins draws $340,000 or INR 2.3 crore as salary. After taking charge of the office he asked his salary to be reduced by 23.5 percent.

5. Xavier Bettel – Luxembourg

He has been the Prime Minister of Luxembourg since 2013 and his annual income is $340,000 or Rs. 2.3 crore. He previously served as the Mayor of Luxembourg city and has been a member of the Luxembourg Democratic Party.

6. John Key – New Zealand

The Prime Minister of New Zealand earns $290,000 or Rs. 2 crore as salary. It’s nearly 10 times more than the salary of an average New Zealander.

7. Justin Trudeau – Canada

The 23rd and current Prime Minister of Canada earns $262,725 or INR  1.7 crore annually.

8. Jacob Zuma – South Africa

The President of South Africa is the head of state and Government. The current President Zuma earns $272,000 or Rs. 1.8 crore, that is 26 percent more than an average citizen of his country.

9. Giorgio Napolitano – Italy

Giorgio Napolitano has been the President of Italy since 2006 and earns $270,000 or Rs. 1.8 crore.

10. Shinzo Abe – Japan

The Prime Minister and head of the Government of Japan, Shinzo Abe draws $202,700 or INR 13669165 as his annual salary. It’s eight times higher than the income of an average Japan citizen, and makes it to the last place in the top 10 highest paid world leaders.

The list seems incomplete without the mention of India’s head of state and Government. Pranab Mukherjee, our President annual income is $28,000 or Rs. 18 lakh as head of the state, and Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister earns $30,000 or Rs. 20 lakh as head of the Government.