Income in the United Kingdom

UK median household disposable income by income group for 2008–2016, indexed to 2008[1]
The Median Gross Household Income as of 2018.
The Median Individual Disposable income as of 2018.

Median household disposable income in the UK was £29,400 in the financial year ending (FYE) 2019, up 1.4% (£400) compared with growth over recent years; median income grew by an average of 0.7% per year between FYE 2017 and FYE 2019, compared with 2.8% between FYE 2013 and FYE 2017.[2]

The rise in median income has occurred during a period where the employment rate grew by 0.5 percentage points, while real total pay for employees increased by an average of 1.0% across the 12 months in FYE 2019 compared with FYE 2018.[2]

Median income of people living in retired households increased by 1.1% (£300), while the median income of people living in non-retired households grew by 1.3% (£400).[2]

In November 2023, The Trussell Trust calculated that a single adult in the UK in 2023 needs at least £29,500 a year to have an acceptable standard of living, up from £25,000 in 2022. Two partners with two children would need £50,000, compared to £44,500 in 2022. 29% of the UK population – which works out to 19.2 million people – belong to households that bring in below a minimum figure.[3]

  1. ^ "Household disposable income and inequality in the UK". www.ons.gov.uk.
  2. ^ a b c "Average household income, UK - Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  3. ^ Este, Jonathan (10 November 2023). "How much income is needed to live well in the UK in 2023? At least £29,500 – much more than many households bring in". The Conversation. Retrieved 12 November 2023.