Archive · 28 Aug 2026
India’s Minimum Wage Trails China, US and Japan on PPP
This comparison looks at how much workers earning the minimum wage can buy in different countries.
India’s adjusted monthly figure is $233.
China’s figure is $544, so it is more than twice India’s in this comparison.
Japan and the United States have higher figures of $1,839 and $1,257.
Several other Asian countries also rank above India.
Sri Lanka ranks below India at $200.
Switzerland has the highest figure in the dataset at $3,804 per month.
These numbers are only a standard way to compare wage floors and do not show exactly how much workers take home or how comfortable they are.
India’s PPP-adjusted monthly minimum wage is $233, ranking 111th among 130 countries.
China ranks 73rd at $544 per month, more than twice India’s figure.
Japan ranks 16th at $1,839, while the United States ranks 25th at $1,257.
South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal also rank above India.
The comparison uses 2024 International Labour Organization data but excludes taxes, benefits and some regional wage differences.
- Who
- Workers covered by minimum-wage systems in India, the United States, China, Japan and other countries.
- What
- A comparison of monthly minimum wages adjusted for purchasing power across 130 countries.
- When
- The figures are based on 2024 International Labour Organization data.
- Where
- Countries worldwide, including India and other Asian economies.
- Why
- To compare national wage floors using purchasing-power adjustments.
- India
- $233 monthly PPP-adjusted minimum wage; 111th globally.
- China
- $544 monthly PPP-adjusted minimum wage; 73rd globally.
- Japan
- $1,839 monthly PPP-adjusted minimum wage; 16th globally.
- United States
- $1,257 monthly PPP-adjusted minimum wage; 25th globally.
- Dataset
- 130 countries, based on 2024 International Labour Organization data.
- Highest figure
- Switzerland at $3,804 per month, with regionally set wage floors.
- Key limitation
- Figures do not account for taxes, benefits or all internal cost-of-living differences.