This is what politicians get paid around the world
Parliamentarians' pay in different countries
Politicians' pay varies widely from one country to the next. We look at 31 countries from around the world, and how much money members of their government take home.
India: $17,424 (£13,188)
Indian members of parliament saw their salaries double in 2018, rising from 50,000 rupees ($726/£549) to 1 lakh ($1,452/ £1,099) per month. That takes their annual salary to $17,424 (£13,188). However, with constituency allowances and perks Indian politicians could see almost double that. Although that still puts them at the bottom of this list, their 50% wage increase is much higher than the 9.4% average salary hike across Indian companies in 2018, according to a report by Aon Hewitt.
China: $22,000 (£16,662)
Members of the Chinese government, including President Xi Jinping, were given a 62% pay rise in 2015, bringing their yearly earnings to $22,000 (£16,662) across the board. The low wages have been criticised for encouraging corruption among government officials.
Hungary: $28,000 (£21,216)
Hungary’s politicians earn $28,000 (£21,216) a year, which is slightly higher than the country's average annual wage of $22,576 (£17,026).
Czech Republic: $30,884 (£23,276)
Czech members of parliament earn a base salary of $30,884 (£23,276). This is much higher than the average annual salary in the Czech Republic, which by the end of 2018 was 406,080 Czech crowns ($17,756/£13,444), according to the Czech National Statistic Office.
Poland: $31,480 (£23,853)
Following controversy over bonuses, Polish politicians took a 20% pay cut in 2018, reducing their salaries to 10,000 zloty a month, the equivalent of $31,480 (£23,853) a year. This left them as some of the lowest paid members of government in Europe, but they still earn more than their Czech neighbours.
Turkey: $33,630 (£25,470)
Members of parliament in Turkey saw their salaries increase from 9,200 Turkish lira per month to 15,250 lira in April 2015. This is the equivalent of $33,630 (£25,470) per year.
Spain: $37,965 (£27,750)
Unlike many countries' politicians, at $37,965 (£27,750) Spain's politicians earn a very similar amount to the country's average wage. In fact, their politicians' salaries are the lowest in Western Europe.
Portugal: $55,455 (£42k)
Portugal's parliamentarians earn $55,455 (£42k) per year, over double the country's average annual wage of $19,820 (£14,943).
Switzerland: $66,000 (£50,000)
Swiss politicians aren't actually the lowest paid in Europe, but they do have the lowest base salary. Members of parliament receive only 26,000 Swiss francs, that's $26,125 (£19,785) a year. But this is supplemented by a daily allowance for council and committee attendance of $440 (£335), which takes most politicians' income to around $66,000 (£50,000).
Kenya: $73,200 (£55,395)
Kenyan members of parliament took a 15% pay cut to $73,200 (£55,395) in 2017 as part of a plan to reduce public sector wages by 35%. Even with the pay cut they still earn over 40 times the average wage, which was $1,800 (£1,362) a year in 2017 according to the BBC.
South Africa: $75,280 (£57,035)
South African members of parliament make 1.1 million rand ($75,280/£57,035) per year following their most recent pay rise in 2017. President Cyril Ramaphosa opted not to raise salaries in 2018 in an effort to cut costs.
Sweden: $86,556 (£65,476)
Swedish members of parliament earn a basic salary of SEK 66,900 ($7213/£5457) per month. This works out at $86,556 (£65,476) per year, making Sweden's politicians the lowest paid in Scandinavia.
Finland: $89,317 (£67,577)
Members of parliament in Finland receive $89,317 (£67,577) a year, which rises to $96,000 (£72,646) after 12 years of service. Finnish MPs' salaries are decided by a three-person Remuneration Committee, none of whom can be an MP.
Russia: $93,330 (£69,999)
Pay varies in the Russian government, but the majority of ministers without a senior role are reported to earn $93,000 (£69,999) per year. However, there have been allegations of corruption directed at many Russian MPs.
Belgium: $97,549 (£73,441)
Belgian members of parliament earn $97,549 (£73,441) per year, significantly more than the country's average wage of $49,675 (37,535). However, in 2017 MPs did have to start paying for alcohol in the federal parliament's restaurant, putting an end to the free drinks they had enjoyed for almost three decades.
France: $98,647 (£74,307)
French members of parliament earn $98,647 (£74,307), which is not that dissimilar from many countries in Western Europe. France has a long history of socialism so it's not that surprising that its MPs' wages aren't particularly high.
Denmark: $100,587 (£75,762)
Danish politicians earn $100,587 (£75,762), which is higher than the country's national average of $55,222 (£41,593), according to the OECD. Politicians in Denmark aren't able to refuse a salary for their work and must accept the basic wage.
UK: $102,364 (£77,379)
The basic salary for a member of the UK's parliament is $102,364 (£77,379). However politicians' salaries are expected to rise by a further $2,620 (£2,000) a year from April 2019.
The Netherlands: $104,076 (£79,098)
Dutch members of parliament receive a basic allowance of €7,705 ($8,673/£6,591) a month. This works out at $104,076 (£79,098) a year.
Ireland: $106,389 (£80,441)
Members of parliament in Ireland take home a basic yearly salary of €94,535 ($106,080/£81,350), which makes their wage slightly higher than their UK neighbours. MPs in positions of authority are entitled to an additional salaried allowance, but this is dependent on their role.
Norway: $108,907 (£82,010)
The highest-paid politicians in Scandinavia, Norwegian members of parliament earn $108,907 (£82,010) per annum. Norway leads the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2018 Democracy Index as the 'World's Best Democracy' so there's every reason to suppose its residents are happy with their MPs' salaries.
Austria: $117,903 (£90,271)
Austria's parliamentarians receive a uniform salary of $117,903 (£90,271) but are allowed to claim for a further monthly allowance to pay for up to two assistants as well.
Canada: $130,710 (£100,335)
A member of the House of Commons in Canada gets a base salary of CA$175,600 (US$130,710/£100,335). Pay rises have been criticised by the public, who have said politicians' salaries are too far above the average yearly Canadian salary, estimated at CA$63,963 (US$47,622/£36,557) by the OECD.
Germany: $133,279 (£100,439)
German politicians earn $133,279 (£100,439) a year, making them some of the highest paid members of parliament in Europe. The wage is designed to attract people from all walks of life, including those who have previously been on a higher salary.
Italy: $143,352 (£108,038)
Italian politicians have long been famed for their high salaries and their wage of $143,352 (£108,038) is significantly higher than the country's average annual of $36,658 (£27,871). But in 2018, 5-Star, an anti-establishment populist party, targeted politicians' pensions and won, meaning that the pensions were cut. Their salaries could now be next for the chop.
Australia: $141,330 (£108,380)
Earning AU$200,000 (US$141,330/£108,380) a year, politicians in Australia are among the most highly-paid in the world. Their salaries have risen by 2% each year since 2016. However, Senator Lucy Gichuhi caused a media storm in 2018 when she claimed that this salary was "not a lot of money".
USA: $174,000 (£131,109)
President Trump famously donates his $400,000 (£307k) salary, giving it to groups such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the Department of Homeland Security. However, Congress members are paid less than the president, receiving $174,000 (£131,109) a year. Since 2010, members of Congress have annually voted against a pay increase, meaning that their salaries have remained the same since 2009.
New Zealand: $196,300 (£150,000)
New Zealand politicians are under a pay freeze enacted by current Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in 2018, but this still leaves the average politician with a salary of NZ$288,900 (US$196,300/£150,000), according to Stuff NZ. Ardern said a pay freeze was not a matter of cutting costs but the right thing to do to increase equality in society.
Japan: $274,000 (£206,495)
Members of Parliament in Japan reportedly earn up to $274,000 (£206,495). Its politicians are often closely scrutinised because of their high pay and there have been recent allegations of corruption. According to the OECD, the average wage in Japan is $40,863 (£30,878), so MPs are paid over six times more than the citizens they represent.
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Nigeria: $480,000 (£361,610)
Senator Shehu Sani reported in 2018 that Nigeria’s extremely well-paid members of government earned as much as $480,000 (£361,610). Their monthly salary is only $2,000 (£1,512), but along with their monthly guaranteed expense allowance of $35,720 (£27,000) their salary becomes one of the best in the world. This is despite the fact that many people in Nigeria live on less than $2 (£1.51) per day.
Singapore: $888,428 (£669,323)
A starting salary for a Singaporean MP is $888,428 (£669,323), making them the best-paid politicians in the world. The controversially high salaries have been subject to criticism, but the government has always maintained that it needs to pay them to attract politicians of the very highest calibre.
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