According to a global minimum wage comparison report published by Visual Capitalist, Sri Lanka ranks 120th out of 130 countries surveyed.
This places Sri Lanka among the 10 countries with the lowest wages in the world.
The ranking was prepared using 2024 data from the International Labour Organization (ILO). It compares the cost of living in different countries and the ability of workers to buy goods and services with the money they earn.
According to the report, Sri Lanka’s monthly minimum wage, adjusted for purchasing power, is US$200.
Switzerland ranks first in the world, with a monthly minimum wage of US$3,804 based on purchasing power.
Germany ranks second with US$2,928, followed by the United Kingdom with US$2,902 and the Netherlands with US$2,876.
Australia (US$2,819), Belgium (US$2,752), Iceland (US$2,730), New Zealand (US$2,673), France (US$2,465) and Ireland (US$2,433) make up the rest of the top 10.
South Korea has the highest minimum wage in Asia, at US$2,362, ranking 11th in the world. Japan ranks 16th with US$1,839.
The United States ranks 25th, with a monthly minimum wage of US$1,257.
Among South Asian countries, Pakistan ranks 68th (US$570), Nepal 78th (US$490), Bangladesh 89th (US$379) and India 111th (US$233).
Sri Lanka’s figure of US$200 is lower than that of all these neighbouring countries.
Only 10 countries rank below Sri Lanka in the index.
They are Niger, Bhutan, Haiti, Guinea, the Central African Republic, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Guinea-Bissau and Gambia.