Sweden vs United Kingdom: Average hourly earnings of employees

Sweden
25.41 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2022
United Kingdom
21.77 international-$ in 2021 prices
in 2024
Sweden rank
8th
United Kingdom rank
9th

Average hourly earnings of employees over time

  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
510152025199520092024

How they compare

Sweden currently reports 25.41 international-$ in 2021 prices against 21.77 international-$ in 2021 prices in United Kingdom, a difference of 3.64 international-$ in 2021 prices.

That makes Sweden's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 7 shared years of data; in 2015 it was Sweden ahead.

Sweden ranks 8th and United Kingdom ranks 9th of 64 countries.

Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Sweden United Kingdom Difference Ahead
2010s 20.89 international-$ in 2021 prices 14.28 international-$ in 2021 prices 6.61 international-$ in 2021 prices Sweden
2020s 24.13 international-$ in 2021 prices 18.65 international-$ in 2021 prices 5.48 international-$ in 2021 prices Sweden

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher average hourly earnings of employees, Sweden or United Kingdom?
Sweden, at 25.41 international-$ in 2021 prices against 21.77 international-$ in 2021 prices in United Kingdom as of 2022.
What is the difference in average hourly earnings of employees between Sweden and United Kingdom?
3.64 international-$ in 2021 prices, with Sweden ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Sweden and United Kingdom?
7 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2022.
How do Sweden and United Kingdom rank globally for average hourly earnings of employees?
Sweden ranks 8th and United Kingdom ranks 9th of 64 countries.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Average hourly earnings of employees. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Sweden vs United Kingdom: Average hourly earnings of employees. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/average-hourly-earnings/sweden/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Average hourly earnings of employees
Unit
international-$ in 2021 prices
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
64 places, 923 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Gross remuneration for time worked or work done, vacation, and other types of paid leave.