Low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Low pay rate was 16.34 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1997–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 16.34 for low pay rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 29 years on record.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 28.5 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 16.34, in 2025.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 51st of 84 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 28.4 | — |
| 1998 | 28.5 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 28.5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 28.4 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 28.4 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 28.5 | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 28.2 | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 28.2 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 20.78 | -26.3% |
| 2006 | 21.61 | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 22.15 | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 22.32 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 21.61 | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 22.21 | +2.8% |
| 2011 | 22.88 | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 22.45 | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 22.44 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 22.97 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 22.16 | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 21.15 | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 20.73 | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 19.45 | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 26.5 | +36.2% |
| 2020 | 21.67 | -18.2% |
| 2021 | 21.71 | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 19.63 | -9.6% |
| 2023 | 17.98 | -8.4% |
| 2024 | 16.59 | -7.7% |
| 2025 | 16.34 | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.47 | 28.4 | 28.5 | 3 |
| 2000s | 25.02 | 20.78 | 28.5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.3 | 19.45 | 26.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.99 | 16.34 | 21.71 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More gender data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 11,226 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -0.9161 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 335,907 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 353,938 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 340,922 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 359,075 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 343,706 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 361,989 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 347,350 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 365,727 (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Low pay rate in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 16.34 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest low pay rate recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 28.5 in 1998.
- What is the lowest low pay rate recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.34 in 2025.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for low pay rate?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 51st out of 84 countries with data for 2025.
- Is low pay rate rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Low pay rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This measure of earnings dispersion refers to the proportion of employees whose hourly earnings at all jobs were less than two-thirds of median hourly earnings. For more information, refer to the Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) database description.