What Country has the Highest Paid Government Leader in 2025?
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Country | Head of State Annual Salary↓ | Head of State Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Saudi Arabia | $9.60 Bn | King |
 | United Arab Emirates | $4.61 Bn | President |
 | Kuwait | $165.00 Mn | Emir |
 | Monaco | $52.06 Mn | Prince |
 | Qatar | $36.00 Mn | Emir |
 | Norway | $33.24 Mn | King |
 | Sweden | $15.75 Mn | King |
 | Luxembourg | $12.33 Mn | Grand Duke |
 | Denmark | $11.35 Mn | King |
 | Oman | $7.24 Mn | Sultan |
 | Netherlands | $6.08 Mn | King |
 | Japan | $3.08 Mn | Emperor |
 | Tonga | $2.13 Mn | King |
 | Singapore | $1.44 Mn | President |
 | Jordan | $847,457 | King |
 | Iraq | $809,673 | President |
 | Cameroon | $620,976 | President |
 | Syria | $576,000 | |
 | Hong Kong | $568,400 | Chief Executive |
 | Switzerland | $507,000 | President |
 | Morocco | $488,604 | King |
 | Ireland | $401,000 | President |
 | United States | $400,000 | President |
 | Austria | $378,666 | President |
 | Australia | $354,000 | Governor-General |
 | Iceland | $317,000 | President |
 | Spain | $304,055 | King |
 | Mauritania | $300,000 | President |
 | Canada | $290,000 | Governor-General |
 | Italy | $275,147 | President |
 | Germany | $268,448 | President |
 | Malaysia | $263,500 | Monarch |
 | New Zealand | $260,245 | Governor-General |
 | South Africa | $223,500 | President |
 | South Korea | $211,320 | President |
 | Turkey | $197,400 | President |
 | Chile | $196,000 | President |
 | France | $194,300 | President |
 | Kenya | $192,200 | President |
 | Uganda | $183,216 | President |
 | Taiwan | $180,000 | President |
 | Guatemala | $178,680 | President |
 | Israel | $173,000 | President |
 | Greece | $154,739 | President |
 | Equatorial Guinea | $152,680 | President |
 | Lebanon | $150,000 | President |
 | Czech Republic | $149,517 | President |
 | Zimbabwe | $146,590 | President |
 | Finland | $141,367 | President |
 | Uruguay | $139,608 | President |
 | Russia | $136,000 | President |
 | Colombia | $134,676 | President |
 | Suriname | $133,560 | President |
 | Slovakia | $129,284 | President |
 | Hungary | $127,159 | President |
 | Somalia | $120,000 | President |
 | Dominican Republic | $120,000 | President |
 | Palestine | $120,000 | President |
 | Comoros | $117,060 | President |
 | Barbados | $116,024 | President |
 | Costa Rica | $113,520 | President |
 | Azerbaijan | $110,000 | President |
 | Republic of the Congo | $108,400 | President |
 | Libya | $105,000 | President |
 | Paraguay | $103,044 | President |
 | Brazil | $102,524 | President |
 | Ivory Coast | $100,000 | President |
 | Botswana | $99,950 | President |
 | Namibia | $99,241 | President |
 | Portugal | $96,469 | President |
 | Philippines | $95,554 | President |
 | Mauritius | $93,783 | President |
 | Guyana | $91,700 | President |
 | Georgia | $90,890 | President |
 | Cyprus | $90,025 | President |
 | Liberia | $90,000 | President |
 | Palau | $90,000 | President |
 | Kiribati | $89,246 | President |
 | Lithuania | $86,136 | President |
 | Rwanda | $85,000 | President |
 | India | $84,500 | President |
 | Panama | $84,000 | President |
 | San Marino | $83,682 | Captains Regent |
 | Samoa | $82,000 | Head of State |
 | Slovenia | $80,142 | President |
 | Bulgaria | $79,000 | President |
 | Ghana | $76,000 | President |
 | Ecuador | $75,132 | President |
 | Estonia | $74,595 | President |
 | Nauru | $74,411 | President |
 | Malawi | $74,300 | President |
 | Malta | $70,955 | President |
 | Latvia | $70,718 | President |
 | Egypt | $70,400 | President |
 | Jamaica | $70,400 | Governor General |
 | Poland | $70,026 | President |
 | Algeria | $70,000 | President |
 | Nigeria | $69,000 | President |
 | Mali | $68,900 | President |
 | Mexico | $67,903 | President |
 | Pakistan | $65,794 | President |
 | Gambia | $65,000 | President |
 | Gabon | $65,000 | President |
 | Zambia | $63,100 | President |
 | Fiji | $62,784 | President |
 | El Salvador | $62,172 | President |
 | Romania | $61,296 | President |
 | South Sudan | $60,000 | President |
 | Marshall Islands | $60,000 | President |
 | Peru | $56,530 | President |
 | Papua New Guinea | $56,249 | Governor-General |
 | Grenada | $55,014 | Governor General |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | $54,600 | President |
 | Lesotho | $52,778 | King |
 | Argentina | $51,840 | President |
 | Indonesia | $51,600 | President |
 | DR Congo | $51,500 | President |
 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | $51,000 | Governor-General |
 | Honduras | $49,908 | President |
 | Venezuela | $48,816 | President |
 | Tanzania | $47,300 | President |
 | Burundi | $47,300 | President |
 | Mozambique | $46,800 | President |
 | Ethiopia | $45,270 | President |
 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $45,042 | Governor-General |
 | Croatia | $44,375 | President |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | $42,650 | President |
 | Central African Republic | $42,524 | Central African Republic |
 | Myanmar | $40,980 | President |
 | Antigua and Barbuda | $40,233 | Governor-General |
 | Bolivia | $39,924 | President |
 | Nicaragua | $38,316 | President |
 | Bahamas | $37,000 | Governor-General |
 | Saint Lucia | $36,111 | Governor-General |
 | Afghanistan | $36,030 | Leader |
 | Burkina Faso | $33,810 | President |
 | Dominica | $33,671 | President |
 | Belarus | $33,600 | President |
 | Montenegro | $33,440 | President |
 | Armenia | $32,970 | President |
 | Vanuatu | $32,295 | President |
 | Micronesia | $32,000 | President |
 | Timor-Leste | $30,000 | President |
 | Benin | $29,810 | President |
 | Sudan | $29,320 | President |
 | Albania | $28,074 | President |
 | Belize | $26,241 | Governor-General |
 | Seychelles | $23,700 | President |
 | Guinea | $22,390 | President |
 | China | $22,000 | President |
 | Angola | $21,054 | President |
 | Kazakhstan | $20,400 | President |
 | Cape Verde | $20,380 | President |
 | Kyrgyzstan | $18,800 | President |
 | Tuvalu | $17,660 | Governor-General |
 | Nepal | $17,584 | President |
 | North Macedonia | $17,250 | President |
 | Bangladesh | $17,100 | President |
 | Tunisia | $16,700 | President |
 | Chad | $16,640 | President |
 | Solomon Islands | $16,640 | Governor-General |
 | Uzbekistan | $15,600 | President |
 | Yemen | $15,300 | President |
 | Senegal | $15,210 | President |
 | Serbia | $14,950 | President |
 | Tajikistan | $13,200 | President |
 | Sierra Leone | $12,220 | President |
 | Mongolia | $11,620 | President |
 | Ukraine | $11,600 | President |
 | Vietnam | $11,103 | President |
 | Turkmenistan | $10,800 | President |
 | Djibouti | $10,000 | President |
 | Moldova | $9,264 | President |
 | Sri Lanka | $7,380 | President |
 | Guinea-Bissau | $6,360 | President |
 | Eritrea | $6,000 | President |
 | Haiti | $3,782 | President |
 | Sao Tome and Principe | $2,930 | President |
 | Laos | $1,630 | Party General Secretary and President |
 | Iran | Supreme Leader | |
 | Thailand | King | |
 | Niger | President | |
 | North Korea | Party General Secretary and President of State Affairs | |
 | Cambodia | King | |
 | Belgium | Monarch | |
 | Togo | President | |
 | Bahrain | Monarch | |
 | Bhutan | Monarch | |
 | Brunei | Monarch | |
 | Andorra | Monarch | |
 | Liechtenstein | Prince |
- Listed salaries have been converted from their local currency to USD using the International Monetary Fund’s 2019 exchange rate
- Countries whose head of state is a monarch often do not indicate an annual salary
- In some countries, including Angola, Mexico, and the United States, the head of state and the head of government are the same person
The Highest-Earning Government Leaders in the World
- Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - King of Saudi Arabia - $9,600,000,000
- Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - President of United Arab Emirates - $4,610,000,000
- Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah - Emir of Kuwait - $165,000,000
- Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani - Emir of Qatar - $36,000,000
The Highest-Salaried Government Leaders in the World
- Albert II - Prince of Monaco - $52,060,000
- Harald V - King of Norway - $33,240,000
- Carl XVI Gustaf - King of Sweden - $15,750,000
- Henri - Grand Duke of Luxembourg - $12,330,000
All figures are displayed in USD.
Leader Highlights
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud - King of Saudi Arabia
Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the current King of Saudi Arabia, is the highest earning government leader globally.
King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia does not receive an official salary; instead, his estimated wealth of approximately $9.6 billion primarily stems from vast family-owned assets and control over the nation’s extensive oil reserves and investments.
Interestingly, King Salman’s wealth isn’t just about oil – it’s a result of generational influence and shrewd moves across many industries. His family has quietly built a financial empire that includes global real estate, luxury properties, and stakes in brands recognizable in everyday life.
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan - President of United Arab Emirates
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, ranks as the second-highest-earning country leader worldwide, with a personal fortune totaling around $4.61 billion.
Instead of a typical presidential salary, his income largely comes from family businesses and major investments across industries globally, which include major stakes in real estate, aviation, and finance.
Albert II - Prince of Monaco
Prince Albert II of Monaco receives an impressive annual salary of over $52 million, placing him among the world’s top-paid heads of state. Unlike many royals whose money largely comes from family inheritance or private businesses, Prince Albert’s income comes directly from Monaco’s public budget.
His generous paycheck is closely tied to Monaco’s booming luxury economy – famous for its glamorous casinos, upscale tourism, and thriving financial sector. In other words, Monaco’s prosperity directly funds its prince, making his salary uniquely transparent compared to arrangements of many other royal families.
Harald V - King of Norway
King Harald V of Norway earns an official annual salary of about $33.2 million, making him one of the world’s best-paid monarchs. His income is publicly funded by the Norwegian government, meaning taxpayers directly contribute to supporting their king.
Norway’s strong economy, driven largely by oil revenues and effective public management, enables this generous royal salary. Unlike royals who rely on private wealth or hidden assets, King Harald’s pay is openly reported each year, showing just how committed Norway is to its royal family’s financial transparency.
Honorable Mention - Donald J Trump - The President of the United States
As the current leader of the free world, U.S. President Donald J. Trump receives an official annual salary of $400,000 – though notably, he has chosen to donate this entire amount to various government departments and charitable causes.
While this salary might seem modest compared to other global leaders, Trump enjoys unmatched presidential privileges, including residence at the White House, travel aboard Air Force One, and extensive security provided by the U.S. government.
Though not among the highest-earning heads of state by official compensation, Trump’s immense personal wealth, derived from decades in real estate and entertainment, ensures his position among the world’s wealthiest leaders, making him an intriguing honorable mention on this list.
