Growth in Real Wages of Lowest 20th Percentile of Workers Compared with Increase in Living Costs

Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Manpower what the Ministry's assessment of how real wage growth for the lowest 20th percentile of local workers compares with the increase in essential living costs over the past three years.

From 2022 to 2025, nominal wage of full-time employed residents at the 20th percentile rose by 13.9% cumulatively. Over the same period, headline inflation was 8.3% and core inflation, which excludes accommodation and private transport, was 7.8%. After adjusting for headline inflation, lower-wage workers at the 20th percentile experienced real wage growth of 5.2% cumulatively from 2022 to 2025.