Across ASEAN Countries, a Minimum Wage Earner in 2010
Can Buy the Most Rice in Thailand and in the Philippines
(STS-20120125-NS1-1, Posted 25 January 2012)

 

Table 1. Daily minimum wage (in US$) and Price of Rice (US$/kg)
in ASEAN Countries: 2010

Country	Year	Daily Minimum Wage (in US$)	Reference Period	Retail Prices of Rice (US$/kg)	Kilos of Rice that Minimum Wage Can Buy
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6) = (3) / (5)
Brunei		a/
Cambodia	2010-2014	2.03	December 2010	0.41	4.95
Indonesia	2010	2.00	December 2010	1.00	2.00
Laos	2009-2010	1.60
Malaysia	2009-2011	5.25
Myanmar	2010	3.00	October 2010	0.45	6.67
Philippines
National b/	2010	6.16	November 2010	0.78	7.90
National Capital Region	2010	8.34	November 2010	0.78	10.69
Singapore	2009-2011	20.58
Thailand	2010	4.84	November 2010	0.47	10.30
Vietnam	2010	1.74	December 2010	0.44	3.95
Timor-Leste		c/

Notes:
a/ Brunei has no set minimum wage rate.
(Source: http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/eap/154379.htm)
b/ The minimum wage rate for the Philippines is computed by getting the simple average of the minimum wage rates across all regions.
c/ In Timor Leste, the law does not stipulate a minimum wage.
(Source:http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,USDOS,,TMP,4da56d7fc,0.html)

Sources:
For the wage rates: http://www.state.gov and http://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/pages/statistics/Asean%20Wages%202010.pdf
For the prices of rice: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/am156e/am156e00.pdf

 

Figure 1. Number of Kilos of Rice that Daily Minimum Wage Can Buy in ASEAN Countries: 2010

Prepared by:                                                          Under the Guidance of:

NOEL S. NEPOMUCENO                                        ROMULO A. VIROLA
Information Technology Officer                               Secretary General 
Email: ns.nepomuceno@nscb.gov.ph  
Tel No.: (+632)895-2395               

ANNA JEAN G. CASAÑAS
Statistical Coordination Officer         
Social Sectors B Division
Email: ajg.casanas@nscb.gov.ph
Tel No.: (+632)896-7981

Assisted by:

MA. LIBERTIE V. MASCULINO
Statistical Coordination Officer         

DENNIS E. SAN DIEGO
Artist/Illustrator

Related pages

Sexy Statistics Main Page

Addendum

As suggested by Ms. Cai Ordinario of the Business Mirror, we are providing below a short paragraph on the Sexy Statistics about the minimum wage and price of rice in ASEAN countries.
 

A minimum wage earner in 2010 can buy the most amount of rice in the Philippines and Thailand compared with the other ASEAN countries like Indonesia and Vietnam. Thus, on the basis of minimum wage and rice price data alone, minimum wage earners in the Philippines, many of whom may be poor, are relatively better off compared to their ASEAN counterparts. This may have implications on minimum wage setting but of course, there are other expenses aside from rice that should be considered such as transportation, fuel, light and water, among others.

And please, do not accuse us of being anti-labor.