What the average person earns in different countries around the world (copy)

Typical salaries across the globe

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Wonder where your country fits on the international pay scale? Using data compiled by the OECD unless otherwise stated, we take a look at average wage levels in 30 different nations around the world.

Rwanda, average annual salary: $768 (£584)

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If you think your salary is on the low side, spare a thought for the average worker in Rwanda, who earns just $64 (£49) a month according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). Lucrative sectors such as IT and tourism are growing in the African nation, but pay remains depressingly low.

Bangladesh, average annual salary: $1,716 (£1.3k)

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Typical wages are modest in Bangladesh, too. The principal industries in the country include agriculture and garment manufacturing, which are notoriously low-paid. It's no surprise then that the average salary as reported by the ILO is only $143 (£109) per month.

Philippines, average annual salary: $2,880 (£2.2k)

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Agriculture and manufacturing employ much of the Filipino workforce, but the service sector in the country is growing, which is having a positive effect on wages. Last year, the typical pay packet amounted to $240 (£183) a month according to the ILO.

Vietnam, average annual salary: $3,480 (£2.6k)

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Figures from Vietnam’s General Statistics Office show the average monthly salary in the country hit $290 (£221) in 2017, up an impressive 9.3% compared to 2016. With economic growth exceeding 7% and unemployment super-low, it's not hard to work out why.

India, average annual salary: $3,600 (£2.7k)

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Likewise, salaries in India have been on the increase in recent years as the country enjoys robust economic growth, though grinding poverty is ever present. India's Labour Bureau reports the average worker earned $300 a month (£228) last year, a jump of around 10% from 2016.

Colombia, average annual salary: $4,500 (£3.4k)

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The jobs market in Colombia has been boosted by growth in the tourism, hi-tech manufacturing and mining industries over the past few years, and this has help pushed up the average wage in the country, which stood at $375 (£285) a month in 2017 according to the ILO.

Thailand, average annual salary: $5,076 (£3.9k)

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Wages have also been growing in Thailand. Workers in the Southeast Asian country can expect their salaries to increase by more than 5% in 2018. ILO data shows pay averaged $423 (£323) a month last year.

Brazil, average annual salary: $6,948 (£5.3k)

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Income inequality is extreme in Brazil where minimum wage workers earn $256 (£195) a month, while senior managers in Sao Paulo average $3,670 ($2.8k) according to Glassdoor. Taking the nation's workforce as a whole, the typical monthly wage as reported by the ILO is $579 (£441) a month.

Russia, average annual salary: $7,008 (£5.3k)

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Wages are on the up in Russia, averaging $584 (£444) a month last year as reported by the ILO, and unemployment is down to its lowest level since 1992, but rising living costs mean the typical worker in the country isn't seeing much of a boost to their disposable income.

China, average annual salary: $10,741 (£8.2k)

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Typical wages in China have been on a steep upward trajectory since the late 1990s, in tandem with the country's stellar economic growth. Official figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security show the average worker earned $895 (£681) a month last year.

Mexico, average annual salary: $15,314 (£11.7k)

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Mexico has the lowest minimum wage in the OECD, as well as the lowest average monthly salary at $1,276 (£971). Pay in the manufacturing industry is notably meagre, and as many as six out of 10 Mexicans work in the informal sector.

South Africa, average annual salary: $16,260 (£12.4k)

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The Apartheid system ended in South Africa in the early 1990s, but the country remains one of the world's most unequal, with an enormous gap between rich and poor. Monthly salaries average $1,385 (£1.1k), but many South Africans can only dream of earning this sort of money.

Hungary, average annual salary: $22,576 (£17.2k)

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Hungary is experiencing a chronic skills shortage, with employers finding it increasingly challenging to fill professional positions. The elephant in the room is of course Hungary's mediocre salaries, which are the lowest in the EU at $1,881 (£1.4k) a month. No wonder the country is struggling to retain talent.

Latvia, average annual salary: $23,683 (£18k)

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Latvia faces similar issues. Professional and highly skilled roles are plentiful but there just aren't enough trained workers to fill the vacant positions. Again, this comes down to the relatively low wages in Latvia, which averaged $1,974 (£1.5k) a month last year.

Greece, average annual salary: $26,064 (£19.8k)

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Salaries in Greece have fallen dramatically since 2009 when the country's economy was plunged into deep economic crisis, and they remain among the lowest in Europe, averaging $2,172 (£1.7k) a month in 2017.

South Korea, average annual salary: $35,191 (£26.8k)

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Last year, the typical worker in South Korea grossed $2,933 (£2.2k) a month. This figure is set to rise in 2018 with minimum wage workers reaping the most significant benefits. In May, the government hiked the low pay threshold by 16%, the most magnanimous increase in 17 years.

Spain, average annual salary: $38,507 (£29.3k)

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Though unemployment remains stubbornly high in Spain at 15.2%, the economy is in decent shape and growth is surpassing the EU average. The typical worker earned $3,209 (£2.4k) a month last year, with this figure poised to increase nicely in 2018.

New Zealand, average annual salary: $40,043 (£30.5k)

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New Zealand has been described as a 'low-wage economy', which isn't strictly true, yet Kiwi workers earn 20% less on average than their counterparts in Australia, grossing $3,337 (£2.5k) a month typically last year.

UK, average annual salary: $43,732 (£33.3k)

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The OECD puts the average monthly wage in the UK for 2017 at $3,644 (£2.8k) a month. Salaries are rising in the country as the labour market tightens with workers' pay increasing at its fastest rate since the 2008 financial crisis.

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France, average annual salary: $43,755 (£33.3k)

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Across the channel salaries are almost on a par with the UK. French workers earned $3,646 (£2.8k) a month on average last year. Wages for manual workers, particularly low-skilled construction workers, are increasing the most rapidly.

Ireland, average annual salary: $47,653 (£36.3k)

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Ireland may boast one of the highest average salary rates in the EU at $3,971 (£3k) a month, but this is offset somewhat by steep taxation and a high cost of living. In fact, a report published last November found that typical disposable income in Ireland is actually below the OECD average.

Canada, average annual salary: $47,662 (£36.3k)

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Unemployment has fallen to near-record lows in Canada, yet wages haven't been rising as fast as would be expected. Still, the average worker in the country earned a very respectable $3,971 (£3k) a month last year.

Australia, average annual salary: $49,566 (£37.8k)

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The cost of living in Australia may be super-high, but Aussie workers tend to be handsomely remunerated. The country has the world's most generous minimum wage at $13.78 (£10.49) an hour, and the typical worker grossed $4,131 (£3.1k) per month in 2017.

Norway, average annual salary: $51,212 (£39k)

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Next up is Norway, where the typical person in work was paid $4,268 (£3.3k) a month last year. Personal taxes in the Nordic country are high however and eat into workers' wages, and then some.

Denmark, average annual salary: $51,466 (£39.2k)

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Income tax is even higher in Denmark, which has one of the most wallet-busting rates on the planet. Be that as it may, pay is high in the country averaging $4,289 (£3.3k) month in 2017, which most definitely softens the blow.

Netherlands, average annual salary: $52,877 (£40.3k)

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The Netherlands is another nation that taxes its workers to the hilt. Yet as is the situation in Denmark, pay packets are hefty with workers earning $4,406 (£3.4k) a month on average last year, and public services are top-notch.

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USA, average annual salary: $60,558 (£46.1k)

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American workers are among the highest paid in the world with the typical employee or self-employed individual grossing $5,047 (£3.8k) a month in 2017. Nevertheless, wealth inequality is marked in the country, and the excessive cost of healthcare diminishes many workers' take-home pay.

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Iceland, average annual salary: $61,787 (£47k)

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The Icelandic economy is booming, having recovered spectacularly from severe financial crisis, and the rate of unemployment is a miniscule 1.7%. As a result, wages are lavish in the country, averaging $5,149 (£3.9k) a month last year.

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Switzerland, average annual salary: $62,283 (£47.5k)

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The quintessential rich nation, Switzerland may have a high cost of living, but its workers earn an impressive $5,190 (£4k) a month on average. Employees in the country's finance, insurance and IT sectors command the highest salaries.

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Luxembourg, average annual salary: $63,062 (£48.1k)

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Wages in Luxembourg are higher than in any other country with workers in the Grand Duchy earning $5,255 (£4k) a month typically last year. High-paying jobs are commonplace in the tiny landlocked state, though the cost of living, particularly housing, is mega-pricey.

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