The 179 elected representatives of Denmark's legislature the Folketing earn a little over two and a half times the national wage, which isn't excessive. Members from Greenland and the Faroe Islands are entitled to additional pay, which translates to an extra $3,520 (£2.7k) annually, but all in all, pay levels are relatively low. This moderate compensation, in a country consistently ranked the least corrupt in the world, challenges the notion that high salaries are necessary to prevent corruption.

Where perks are concerned, MPs' pensions are a standout. Parliamentarians begin receiving regular payments at 60, while the state pension age in the country is currently between 65 and 67.