How does U.S. President Donald Trump's official salary stack up? Which leader makes 2,500 times the wage of the average worker in her country?
Follow along to find out. According to research from IG.com, here are the best-compensated leaders in the world — and how they earn their money. Pay figures have been rounded.
1. Queen Elizabeth II of the UK
Base pay: $103.7 million
At the top of the payscale is England's monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen E has been the reigning ruler of the United Kingdom since 1952.
A sovereign grant provides income for her personal use each year. With the U.K. average salary sitting at $43,000 a year, the queen receives $2,500 for every dollar that a typical worker makes.
The source of this fortune is mostly real estate investment income from properties owned by the monarchy. And luckily for the British royals, the income stream only seems to be growing.
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Learn more2. King Philippe of Belgium
Base pay: $14.5 million
Although the money is not technically a salary, the Belgian government covers the full tab for King Philippe's living expenses.
Belgium's central location makes it a European trade hub able to generate millions of euros for its government and head of state.
The king's payday is almost 300 times what a typical Belgian worker takes home. The average income in Belgium is around $50,000 a year.
3. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
Base pay: $13.5 million
The Danish government's Civil List provides Queen Margrethe with money to cover costs and private expenses.
This fund comes from many years of investment by Danish royalty.
While this figure is about 250 times the average salary of a worker in Denmark, Queen Margrethe II doesn’t get to spend all that money on herself.
Much of the money goes to pay royal employees, so the fund is more like a budget allocation than a true salary.
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Try Now4. Emperor Akihito of Japan
Base pay: $3.1 million
The emperor of Japan receives a not-too-shabby stipend each year for personal expenses.
At 84, Emperor Akihito has handled his finances well and has an estimated net worth of $40 million. His properties are owned by the Japanese government.
The average Japanese wage is $39,000, so the emperor makes about 80 times the typical worker’s salary.
5. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands
Base pay: $1.1 million
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands earns the least out of all the monarchs on this list — and he works for his money.
In the Netherlands, the king has a fairly active civic role. Under the constitution, he must approve or refuse all legislation. He also is the diplomatic head of state and the formal face of the government.
King Willem-Alexander's income is roughly 20 times the average Dutch salary of $52,000.
6. Malcolm Turnbull, ex-prime minister of Australia
Base pay: $527,900
Malcolm Turnbull earned quite a cushy salary during his time in office.
During his tenure as the 29th prime minister of Australia, Turnbull was the highest-paid nonroyal world leader. In August, he was ousted and replaced by Scott Morrison.
The average Australian salary is $52,000 — and Turnbull was making about 10 times that amount.
7-8. President Alain Berset and Chancellor Walter Thurnherr of Switzerland
Base pay: $483,000 (Berset) and $470,300 (Thurnherr)
Switzerland's government is run by two leaders, President Alain Berset (above) and Chancellor Walter Thurnherr. Each makes about six times the national average wage of $62,000.
Swiss leaders don't earn their tidy amounts for too long.
The government, known as the Federal Council, is made up of seven Federal Councillors.These councillors rotate every year, so a different person takes on the role — and salary — of president.
9. President Alexander Van der Bellen of Austria
Base pay: $404,500
As the face of the government and the head of state, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen has less to do with the everyday governance of the nation than other leaders.
Even so, his income is about eight times that of the average Austrian worker, who earns about $48,000.
Although Van der Bellen is technically not royalty, he has family roots in Russian nobility.
10. US President Donald Trump
Base pay: $400,000
President Trump did not seek the presidency because he needed the salary — although it’s definitely an enviable wage.
According to U.S. Census data, the average household income in the United States is about $59,000. This means a president earns almost seven times what a typical American family earns.
Trump — who has a net worth of $3.1 billion, according to Forbes — has been donating his presidential pay to various federal agencies.
11. Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany
Base pay: $369,700
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is very active on the global stage today and is often called the most powerful woman in the world.
She’s backed by the strong German economy and its reputation for technological innovations in engineering and the automotive industry.
Though Merkel comes in only at No. 11 on IG's list, she makes about eight times the salary of a typical German worker, who takes home an average of about $46,000 a year.
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