Key Facts: South Sudan vs Switzerland Wages
- South Sudan Minimum Wage
- £7,000/mo ($1.52 USD)
- Switzerland Minimum Wage
- No statutory minimum wage
- South Sudan Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- £125,000 /mo ($27.23 USD)
- Switzerland Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- CHF7,800 /mo ($9,951.52 USD)
- Data Sources
- ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / South Sudan Ministry of Labour (2026-02-25), Swiss Federal Statistical Office (BFS) (2026-02-24)
South Sudan
Switzerland
Updated 2026-02-25
Unlike Switzerland, which has no statutory minimum wage, South Sudan mandates a wage floor of $2/mo. Average gross salaries diverge further: $27/mo in South Sudan versus $9,952/mo in Switzerland, a 365.5:1 ratio. Switzerland has the tighter labor market, with unemployment at 4.9% compared to 12.4%.
South Sudan's unemployment rate is 12.4% compared to Switzerland's 4.9%.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | South Sudan | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /mo | £7,000 $1.52 | None |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | £125,000 /mo $27.23 | CHF7,800 /mo $9,951.52 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | £112,000 /mo $24.40 | CHF6,396 /mo $8,160.24 |
| Median individual income /yr | N/A/yr | CHF81,456 /yr $103,924.47 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means South Sudan is higher.
Work Week
- South Sudan
-
40 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Labour Act 2017 sets 40 hours/week as standard. Enforcement is effectively non-existent across most of the country due to ongoing conflict, institutional collapse, and absence of functioning labour inspectorates.
- Switzerland
-
42 hrs/wk standard
Max 45 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.25x pay
No single statutory standard; typical contractual hours are 40-42/week depending on sector. Maximum legal hours: 45/week for industrial, office, and retail workers; 50/week for others. Overtime premium is 25% (can be compensated with time off by agreement). Swiss Labour Act (Arbeitsgesetz) governs working time.
What This Means for Workers
Standard work weeks differ: South Sudan mandates 40 hours while Switzerland mandates 42 hours.
See this comparison from Switzerland's perspective: Switzerland vs South Sudan
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in South Sudan or Switzerland?
In South Sudan, the minimum wage is £7,000/mo ($1.52 USD). In Switzerland, it is no statutory minimum wage.
How much less does the average worker earn in South Sudan compared to Switzerland?
The average gross salary in South Sudan is £125,000/mo ($27.23 USD), compared to CHF7,800/mo ($9,951.52 USD) in Switzerland. In USD terms, workers in South Sudan earn approximately 36450% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between South Sudan and Switzerland is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Switzerland earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in South Sudan.
How do work hours compare between South Sudan and Switzerland?
Switzerland has a longer standard work week at 42 hours, compared to 40 hours in South Sudan. Workers in South Sudan work 40 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in South Sudan working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.