Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence was 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
23.1 Percentage of full-time employment
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
14th
of 32 countries
All-time high
26.9 Percentage of full-time employment
in 2011
All-time low
23.1 Percentage of full-time employment
in 2023
Years of data
27
1997–2023

Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in United Kingdom, 1997–2023

01020301997201020231997: 25.2 Percentage of full-time employment1998: 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment1999: 25.4 Percentage of full-time employment2000: 25.7 Percentage of full-time employment2001: 26 Percentage of full-time employment2002: 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment2003: 26 Percentage of full-time employment2004: 26.1 Percentage of full-time employment2005: 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment2006: 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment2007: 26.3 Percentage of full-time employment2008: 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment2009: 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment2010: 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment2011: 26.9 Percentage of full-time employment2012: 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment2013: 26.6 Percentage of full-time employment2014: 26.4 Percentage of full-time employment2015: 26.1 Percentage of full-time employment2016: 26 Percentage of full-time employment2017: 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment2018: 25.7 Percentage of full-time employment2019: 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment2020: 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment2021: 24.9 Percentage of full-time employment2022: 24 Percentage of full-time employment2023: 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of full-time employment.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment for incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.

That represents a change of down 3.8% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in United Kingdom peaked at 26.9 Percentage of full-time employment in 2011 and was at its lowest, 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment, in 2023.

United Kingdom ranks 14th of 32 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in United Kingdom, 1997 to 2023.
Year Percentage of full-time employment Change
1997 25.2 Percentage of full-time employment
1998 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment +1.2%
1999 25.4 Percentage of full-time employment -0.4%
2000 25.7 Percentage of full-time employment +1.2%
2001 26 Percentage of full-time employment +1.2%
2002 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment -0.4%
2003 26 Percentage of full-time employment +0.4%
2004 26.1 Percentage of full-time employment +0.4%
2005 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment +2.3%
2006 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment -0.7%
2007 26.3 Percentage of full-time employment -0.8%
2008 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment +1.5%
2009 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment -0.7%
2010 26.5 Percentage of full-time employment +0.0%
2011 26.9 Percentage of full-time employment +1.5%
2012 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment -0.7%
2013 26.6 Percentage of full-time employment -0.4%
2014 26.4 Percentage of full-time employment -0.8%
2015 26.1 Percentage of full-time employment -1.1%
2016 26 Percentage of full-time employment -0.4%
2017 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment -0.4%
2018 25.7 Percentage of full-time employment -0.8%
2019 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment -0.8%
2020 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment +1.6%
2021 24.9 Percentage of full-time employment -3.9%
2022 24 Percentage of full-time employment -3.6%
2023 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment -3.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.37 Percentage of full-time employment 25.2 Percentage of full-time employment 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment 3
2000s 26.24 Percentage of full-time employment 25.7 Percentage of full-time employment 26.7 Percentage of full-time employment 10
2010s 26.23 Percentage of full-time employment 25.5 Percentage of full-time employment 26.9 Percentage of full-time employment 10
2020s 24.48 Percentage of full-time employment 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment 25.9 Percentage of full-time employment 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 11 Brazil 25.47 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  2. 12 Colombia 25.12 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  3. 13 Portugal 24.57 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  4. 15 Canada 21.96 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  5. 16 Spain 21.3 Percentage of full-time employment compare
  6. 17 Iceland 21 Percentage of full-time employment compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in United Kingdom?
Incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence in United Kingdom was 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 26.9 Percentage of full-time employment in 2011.
What is the lowest incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 23.1 Percentage of full-time employment in 2023.
How does United Kingdom rank for incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence?
United Kingdom ranks 14th out of 32 countries with data for 2023.
Is incidence of low and high pay — high pay incidence rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/incidence-of-low-and-high-pay-high-pay-incidence/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Incidence of low and high pay — High pay Incidence
Unit
Percentage of full-time employment
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
40 places, 618 data points, 1985–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset contains series on the incidence of low-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning less than two-thirds of gross median earnings of all full-time workers; the incidence of high-paid workers defined as the share of full-time workers earning more than one-and-half time gross median earnings of all full-time workers.