Key Facts: Syria vs Hong Kong Wages
- Syria Minimum Wage
- £S1,850/mo ($16.46 USD)
- Hong Kong Minimum Wage
- HK$42.10/hr ($5.37 USD)
- Syria Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- £S13,500 /mo ($120.13 USD)
- Hong Kong Avg. Gross Monthly Salary
- HK$20,500 /mo ($2,615.76 USD)
- Data Sources
- ILO ILOSTAT / World Bank / Syria Report economic analyses (2026-02-25), Minimum Wage Commission / Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR; current rate verified via Wikipedia List of countries by minimum wage (eff 2025-05-01) (2026-05-04)
Syria
Hong Kong
Updated 2026-05-04
The minimum wage in Syria is 206% higher than in Hong Kong when converted to USD. Average gross salaries diverge further: $120/mo in Syria versus $2,616/mo in Hong Kong, a 21.8:1 ratio. GDP per capita (PPP) in Hong Kong is 15.8x that of Syria, underscoring the structural economic divide.
Syria has lower GDP per capita ($4,772 vs $75,196). Syria's unemployment rate is 13.6% compared to Hong Kong's 2.8%.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | Syria | Hong Kong |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage /hr | — | HK$42.10 $5.37 |
| Minimum wage /mo | £S1,850 $16.46 | HK$7,297 $931.08 |
| Minimum wage /yr | — | HK$87,568 $11,173.52 |
| Avg. gross salary /mo | £S13,500 /mo $120.13 | HK$20,500 /mo $2,615.76 |
| Avg. net salary /mo | £S12,000 /mo $106.78 | HK$19,475 /mo $2,484.98 |
| Median individual income /yr | N/A/yr | HK$246,000 /yr $31,389.16 |
Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Syria is higher.
Work Week
- Syria
-
48 hrs/wk standard
Max 48 hrs/wk
Overtime : 1.5x pay
Labour Law No. 17 of 2010 set 48 hours/week as the standard. Friday is the weekly rest day. Enforcement is impossible across most of the country due to conflict. Government employees in Damascus and other major cities are the primary remaining formal workforce.
- Hong Kong
-
hrs/wk standard
Hong Kong has NO statutory standard working hours or maximum working hours for most employees (a rare situation globally). The government has considered legislation but has not enacted a standard hours law. Working hours are determined by individual employment contracts. Average actual working hours are ~40-44 hrs/week. Overtime pay is not legally mandated except for certain specific occupations.
What This Means for Workers
A minimum wage worker moving from Hong Kong to Syria would see a 206% increase in USD-equivalent hourly earnings.
See this comparison from Hong Kong's perspective: Hong Kong vs Syria
Compare Syria with...
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the minimum wage higher in Syria or Hong Kong?
In Syria, the minimum wage is £S1,850/mo ($16.46 USD). In Hong Kong, it is HK$42.10/hr ($5.37 USD). Syria has the higher rate by 206% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Hong Kong may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.
How much less does the average worker earn in Syria compared to Hong Kong?
The average gross salary in Syria is £S13,500/mo ($120.13 USD), compared to HK$20,500/mo ($2,615.76 USD) in Hong Kong. In USD terms, workers in Syria earn approximately 2077% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Syria and Hong Kong is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Hong Kong earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Syria.
What is the cost of living difference between Syria and Hong Kong?
While direct cost of living data varies by source, GDP per capita (PPP) gives a useful proxy for overall economic level. Hong Kong has the higher GDP per capita at $75,196, which is 15.8x that of Syria at $4,772. From Syria's perspective, this means goods and services are priced at a lower economic level. A higher GDP per capita generally correlates with higher wages, higher consumer prices, and greater availability of goods and services. Workers moving between these two countries should expect significant differences in rent, food, and transportation costs.