SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees was 21.67 in 2025. ▲ Rising
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom, 2005–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom is 21.67, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and up 50.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom peaked at 21.67 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11.21, in 2005.
That places United Kingdom 47th out of 68 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 11.21 | — |
| 2006 | 11.76 | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 12.14 | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 12.86 | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 12.92 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 13.26 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 13.38 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 13.67 | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 13.97 | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 14.12 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 14.41 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 14.59 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 15.18 | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 15.68 | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 16.99 | +8.4% |
| 2020 | 18.47 | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 17.7 | -4.2% |
| 2022 | 18.5 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 19.69 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 20.56 | +4.4% |
| 2025 | 21.67 | +5.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 21.67 is below the median for high income countries, which is 32.71, 66% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 21.67 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.67, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.18 | 11.21 | 12.92 | 5 |
| 2010s | 14.53 | 13.26 | 16.99 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.43 | 17.7 | 21.67 | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More work & labour data for United Kingdom
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees in United Kingdom was 21.67 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 21.67 in 2025.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.21 in 2005.
- How does United Kingdom rank for sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees?
- United Kingdom ranks 47th out of 68 countries with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.1: average hourly earnings of employees rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of employees (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. This indicator presents data by sex on employees' average hourly earnings. The concept of earnings, as applied in wage statistics, relates to gross remuneration in cash and in kind paid to employees, as a rule at regular intervals, for time worked or work done together with remuneration for time not worked, such as annual vacation, other type of paid leave or holidays. Earnings exclude employers' contributions in respect of their employees paid to social security and pension schemes and also the benefits received by employees under these schemes. Earnings also exclude severance and termination pay. Data are also disaggregated by occupation. Statistics on average hourly earnings by sex are the basis for the calculation of the gender pay gap. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.