Pashinyan’s government is preparing significant salary increases for the country’s highest-ranking officials from January 1, 2027, with the changes expected to cost the state budget more than AMD 25 billion.
Under the proposed system, the president’s monthly salary would rise from around AMD 1.5 million to AMD 2.6 million, while Nikol Pashinyan’s salary would also reach AMD 2.6 million.
Ministers would receive nearly AMD 2 million per month, compared with around AMD 998,000 currently, while deputy ministers would receive more than AMD 2.1 million. The Security Council secretary’s salary would approach AMD 2 million and the Human Rights Defender’s approximately AMD 1.8 million.
The National Assembly speaker would receive around AMD 2.4 million, while lawmakers’ salaries would increase from AMD 832,000 to approximately AMD 1.4 million.
The planned increases come as households and several sectors of Armenia’s economy face mounting pressure.
Agricultural output fell 11.9% in the first half of 2026, according to the Finance Ministry. Tourism has also weakened sharply following strong growth earlier in the year: tourist visits in January-August were down 2.5% year-on-year, while August alone recorded a 32.1% decline compared with August 2025.
Meanwhile, annual inflation stood at 4.4% in August, with food and non-alcoholic beverages up 6.4%. Meat prices rose 10.8%, dairy products, cheese and eggs 11.8%, and fruit 10.5%.
Fuel costs have risen even faster. Gasoline prices increased 11.7% year-on-year in August, diesel prices jumped 25%, and liquefied hydrocarbon fuels rose 23.6%.
The salary increases would therefore take effect against a backdrop of higher living costs, declining agriculture and a recent downturn in tourist arrivals.
