Public sector wage premium in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Public sector wage premium was -0.0477 compared to formal wage employees in 2016. β—† Volatile

Latest (2016)
-0.0477 compared to formal wage employees
Change on year
down 24.9%
World rank
45th
of 54 countries
All-time high
0.0179 compared to formal wage employees
in 2012
All-time low
-0.0985 compared to formal wage employees
in 2008
Years of data
12
2005–2016

Public sector wage premium in United Kingdom, 2005–2016

-0.1-0.075-0.05-0.025-00.0252005201020162005: -0.034 compared to formal wage employees2006: 0.01 compared to formal wage employees2007: -0.006 compared to formal wage employees2008: -0.098 compared to formal wage employees2009: -0.067 compared to formal wage employees2010: -0.02 compared to formal wage employees2011: -0.027 compared to formal wage employees2012: 0.018 compared to formal wage employees2013: -0.042 compared to formal wage employees2014: -0.029 compared to formal wage employees2015: -0.038 compared to formal wage employees2016: -0.048 compared to formal wage employees

Source: World Bank. Measured in compared to formal wage employees.

Analysis

In 2016, public sector wage premium in United Kingdom stood at -0.0477 compared to formal wage employees.

The figure is down 24.9% on the previous year and down 574.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector wage premium in United Kingdom peaked at 0.0179 compared to formal wage employees in 2012 and was at its lowest, -0.0985 compared to formal wage employees, in 2008.

That places United Kingdom 45th out of 54 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s -0.0391 compared to formal wage employees -0.0985 compared to formal wage employees 0.0101 compared to formal wage employees 5
2010s -0.0266 compared to formal wage employees -0.0477 compared to formal wage employees 0.0179 compared to formal wage employees 7

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 42 Switzerland -0.0067 compared to formal wage employees compare
  2. 43 Argentina -0.0204 compared to formal wage employees compare
  3. 44 Slovak Republic -0.0388 compared to formal wage employees compare
  4. 46 Belgium -0.0483 compared to formal wage employees compare
  5. 47 Finland -0.0629 compared to formal wage employees compare
  6. 48 Hungary -0.093 compared to formal wage employees compare

See the full ranking of 54 places β†’

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector wage premium in United Kingdom?
Public sector wage premium in United Kingdom was -0.0477 compared to formal wage employees in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector wage premium recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 0.0179 compared to formal wage employees in 2012.
What is the lowest public sector wage premium recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was -0.0985 compared to formal wage employees in 2008.
How does United Kingdom rank for public sector wage premium?
United Kingdom ranks 45th out of 54 countries with data for 2016.
Is public sector wage premium rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 574.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Public sector wage premium (compared to formal wage employees). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV Β· JSON β€” 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

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Public sector wage premium in United Kingdom. Statizoid. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-wage-premium-compared-to-formal-wage-employees/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector wage premium (compared to formal wage employees)
Unit
compared to formal wage employees
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
54 places, 658 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed