Politicians play a crucial role in the day-to-day running of a country. But how much a typical politician gets paid varies drastically depending on where they live, with some only just about making five figures a year from their basic salaries. 

Read on to discover politicians' annual salaries in 27 major countries around the globe, using data from PoliticalSalaries.com unless otherwise stated. 

All dollar amounts in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Mustafa Şentop, Speaker of the Turkish parliament, made headlines in 2019 when he claimed that politicians have trouble making ends meet due to their high expenses and low salaries, which were around 10 times higher than the minimum wage at the time. 

As of 2024, the monthly minimum wage in Turkey – which is battling an inflation rate of nearly 70% – is 17,002.12 Turkish lira a month, around $530 (£415). This works out at just under $6,400 (£5k) a year, almost $2,000 (£1.6k) lower than the average legislator salary of 266,400 Turkish lira, or $8,340 (£6.5k).

Indian legislators have an average annual salary of 1,200,000 Indian rupees, which works out at around $14,500 (£11k) in 2024. This means they're the second-lowest paid politicians on our list – though it's worth noting that with constituency allowances and perks, they could actually receive almost double that amount.

Select members of the Chinese government, including President Xi Jinping, were given a 62% pay rise in 2015, bringing their monthly earnings to 11,385 yuan ($1,635/£1,415) across the board. This marked the first salary increase for politicians since 2006 and it was announced that regular pay increases would follow, with some people claiming low levels of pay encouraged corruption among government officials. 

Today, Chinese legislators earn an average annual salary of 136,620 yuan, the equivalent of around $19,000 (£15k).

In August 2020, Polish lawmakers voted to give themselves a 60% pay rise, which many critics considered to be bad timing due to the pandemic and its economic impact on the country. A year later, the president approved yet more salary increases for politicians, with some as high as 75%.

The latest data from PoliticalSalaries.com shows the average legislator in Poland earns 151,200 Polish zloty ($38.4k/£30k).

The national average wage in Spain is around €29,700 ($32.5k/£25.3k) a year. Lawmakers earn slightly more than this, with the average salary coming in at €36,608 ($40k/£31k), but the divide is a lot narrower than it is elsewhere in Europe.

There's also money available to cover expenses, which can vary according to how far away a constituency is located from the capital, Madrid. 

Members of parliament in Hungary receive a yearly salary of 15,600,000 Hungarian forints, the equivalent of around $43,000 (£34k). Those who hold positions on committees or serve in leadership roles can earn even higher annual salaries on top of their base salary.

A 2019 article from Daily News Hungary claimed the national average MP salary increased by almost 55% from 2014, meaning legislators were earning 276% more than the average Hungarian citizen. This trend doesn't seem to have abated; according to 2023 data, the average yearly wage before tax is 7,454,400 Hungarian forints, around $21,000 (£16k).

It's a different story in Portugal than in neighbouring Spain, with Portuguese legislators earning almost €10,000 more than their Spanish counterparts.

Portugese lawmakers earn €45,919 a year, the equivalent of $50,280 (£39k), and more than double the average national wage of €20,040 ($22k/£17k).

Pay varies for Russian government officials, though the typical salary was 4,791,600 rubles in 2022, according to PoliticalSalaries.com. This works out at around $52,400 (£41k).

The same year, Mikhail Delyagin, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, proposed reducing politicians' salaries to be more in keeping with the national average wage, which was around 56,500 rubles ($945/£820) a month at the time. It's not clear whether the proposed decrease ever occurred, but it seems the economic situation for the average Russian hasn't improved; a survey in October 2023 suggested almost 50% of Russians couldn't cover basic spending with their salaries.

Politicians in South Africa received a 2.8% bump in pay in 2022. When faced with criticism over the increase, parliament's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said politicians weren't earning nearly as much as their counterparts in countries with similar GDPs, although local media has since debunked this claim.

The latest data from PoliticalSalaries.com shows South Africa's lawmakers make 1,106,940 rand per year, the equivalent of $59,300 (£46k). This figure increases slightly for politicians who are in leadership roles. 

French politicians make €67,479, or $73,850 (£57k) per year, which includes a basic allowance and is on par with many of its neighbours around Western Europe.

While legislators earn a fairly standard salary, French President Emmanuel Macron is richer than many other European leaders with an estimated net worth of $31.5 million (£25m).

Legislators in wealthy Switzerland earn 69,237 Swiss francs a year, which equates to around $79,000 (£62k). However, this can be supplemented with a daily allowance for attending council and committees, along with a healthy chunk of cash for expenses.

With that in mind, the Swiss government has previously said council members can actually earn between 130,000 and 150,000 Swiss francs ($150k to $171k/£115k to £133k) in total each year. 

Members of the Riksdag in Sweden earn a yearly salary of 858,000 kroner, around $84,000 (£65k).

Additional income is available for members who do additional work for the government. For example, those who serve as chairpersons on committees can receive an incremental increase of up to 20%. 

Belgian politicians' salaries can vary, but PoliticalSalaries.com claims legislators earn €86,771 a year, the equivalent of $95,000 (£74k).

And it's not just Euros that are accepted as payment. At the start of 2022, Belgian politician Christophe de Beukelaer announced he would be receiving his salary in Bitcoin each month, following the lead of New York's mayor Eric Adams.

The lowest-ranking politicians in New Zealand's parliament make NZ$163,691 ($101k/£79k) per year, according to PoliticalSalaries.com.

In addition to their base salaries, MPs are entitled to a variety of allowances, including what the NZ Herald describes as a "gold-plated superannuation scheme [that] means that the taxpayer also gives MPs nearly NZ$33,000 [$20k/£16k] per year towards their retirement."

Some of the highest-paid politicians in Scandinavia, Norwegian legislators make 1,064,318 krone, the equivalent of $102,300 (£79.5k) per annum.

Pay rises for members of Norway's parliament, the Storting, were put on hold during the pandemic. However, as of spring 2022, they've been earning an additional $7,647 (£6,647) per year compared to their 2019 compensation. 

Danish politicians receive a basic starting salary of 704,069 krone, or $103,300 (£80k) per year.

According to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this is significantly more than the country's national average salary of $64,127 (£50k).

Politicians in Japan's National Diet reportedly earn 15,528,000 yen a year, around $105,500 (£82k). Bonuses can be earned on top of this and a generous monthly allowance of 1,000,000 yen ($6.8k/£5.3k) is available to cover the costs of correspondence.

Critics have called this a "second salary" because politicians aren't required to submit receipts to show how the untaxed money is spent. 

Dutch politicians receive a basic allowance each month, which works out at €103,199 ($113k/£88k) a year.

Last August, it was reported that three parliamentarians in the Netherlands – Thierry Baudet, Gidi Markuszower, and Roelof Bisschop – would have their salaries cut because their additional income streams exceeded 14% of their wage. As the law currently stands, if a politician earns more than 14% outside of parliament, they have to cut the equivalent sum from their parliamentary pay.

Members of the UK's parliament received a pay rise in 2022, meaning they earned an additional £2,212 ($2.8k) per year. This followed a pay freeze during the pandemic.

This was followed by another boost, and as of 2024, a politician in the UK's parliament enjoys a basic annual starting salary of £91,346 ($116k).

Members of parliament in Ireland take home a basic annual salary of €107,376, or $117,500 (£92k), which makes their pay slightly higher than that of their UK neighbours.

Irish politicians in positions of authority are entitled to an additional salaried allowance, but this depends on their role. 

Austria's parliamentarians receive a uniform salary of €118,476 ($130k/£101k) a year, making them the third highest-paid politicians in Europe.

They're also allowed to claim for a further monthly allowance to pay for up to two assistants.

Italian politicians have long been famed for their high salaries, and their current annual pay of €125,220 ($137k/£107k) is significantly more than the country's average salary of under €30,000 ($33k/£26k).

German politicians earn €127,100 a year. The equivalent of around $139,000 (£108k), this makes them some of the highest-paid lawmakers in Europe.

The hefty wage is high to ensure that politicians are independent, although they did take their first-ever pay cut in July 2021. 

Members of parliament in Singapore receive an annual salary of S$192,500 ($141K/£113k), according to various online sources. 

The controversially high salaries have been subject to criticism, but the government has maintained that it needs to pay its politicians well in order to attract people of the highest calibre.

Earning a base salary of AU$217,060 ($144k/£112k) a year, Australian politicians are among the best paid in the world. Between 2016 and 2019, they enjoyed an annual pay rise of 2%. However, with the economic impact of the pandemic still being felt, the government declined to increase politicians' salaries between 2019 and 2022. But last August, it was announced that salaries would rise by 4%, a move that will bring them closer to AU$225,742 ($150k/£116k).

Speaking on the TV show Sunrise, Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume said: "[Even] Australia's favourite politicians...can see this would annoy people when they see what the amount is, but it is what it is, I'm afraid."

A member of the House of Commons of Canada will receive a base salary of CA$194,600. As in Australia, this works out to around $144,000 (£112k).

Parliamentary politicians risk losing CA$120 ($89/£69) per day if they miss more than 21 days in session for reasons other than illness, pregnancy, parental leave, or serving in the armed forces. 

Coming in at number one on this list due to their $174,000 (£135k) annual salaries, members of the US Congress have technically seen their earnings stagnate over the last decade.

Since 2010, the US Congress has annually voted against a pay increase, meaning that members' salaries have remained the same since 2009. If the politicians' yearly salary had increased to keep pace with inflation, it would be over $250,000 (£194k) today.

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