Compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Compensation of employees was 15.8% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
15.8%
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
115th
of 155 countries
All-time high
16.6%
in 1972
All-time low
8.8%
in 1994
Years of data
52
1972–2023

Compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1972–2023

051015197219972023

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.

Analysis

The most recent figure for compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 15.8%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 24.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 16.6% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 1994.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 115th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Compensation of employees (% of expense) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1972 to 2023.
Year % of expense Change
1972 16.6%
1973 16.0% -3.4%
1974 16.5% +2.7%
1975 16.1% -2.2%
1976 15.6% -3.1%
1977 14.4% -7.8%
1978 13.8% -4.2%
1979 13.5% -1.7%
1980 14.1% +4.1%
1981 13.5% -4.3%
1982 12.9% -4.3%
1983 13.1% +1.6%
1984 12.6% -3.8%
1985 12.5% -0.7%
1986 12.6% +0.6%
1987 15.3% +21.3%
1988 15.7% +2.9%
1989 16.4% +3.9%
1990 15.1% -7.6%
1991 14.0% -7.1%
1992 12.8% -8.5%
1993 11.2% -12.5%
1994 8.8% -21.7%
1995 15.5% +76.5%
1996 15.6% +0.4%
1997 15.9% +1.7%
1998 15.6% -1.4%
1999 15.3% -2.4%
2000 15.1% -1.3%
2001 15.8% +4.8%
2002 15.5% -1.9%
2003 15.4% -0.8%
2004 15.7% +1.9%
2005 15.4% -1.4%
2006 15.7% +1.5%
2007 15.5% -1.0%
2008 14.5% -6.3%
2009 14.5% -0.1%
2010 14.1% -3.1%
2011 14.5% +2.7%
2012 14.6% +0.7%
2013 12.7% -12.8%
2014 13.1% +3.3%
2015 13.1% -0.1%
2016 13.4% +2.5%
2017 15.2% +12.9%
2018 15.7% +3.6%
2019 16.3% +3.4%
2020 14.3% -11.8%
2021 15.1% +5.6%
2022 15.2% +0.2%
2023 15.8% +4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 15.3% 13.5% 16.6% 8
1980s 13.9% 12.5% 16.4% 10
1990s 14.0% 8.8% 15.9% 10
2000s 15.3% 14.5% 15.8% 10
2010s 14.3% 12.7% 16.3% 10
2020s 15.1% 14.3% 15.8% 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 112 Serbia 16.7% compare
  2. 113 Estonia 16.4% compare
  3. 114 Slovakia 16.4% compare
  4. 116 Peru 15.6% compare
  5. 117 Lithuania 15.6% compare
  6. 118 Ethiopia 14.8% compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More public sector data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 15.8% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest compensation of employees recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 16.6% in 1972.
What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 1994.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for compensation of employees?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 115th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
Is compensation of employees rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Compensation of employees in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/compensation-of-employees-percent-of-expense/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Compensation of employees (% of expense)
Unit
% of expense
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
196 places, 5,286 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.