Compensation of employees (% of expense) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Compensation of employees (% of expense) was 15.8% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Compensation of employees in United Kingdom, 1972–2023
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 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 peaked at 16.6% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 1994.
That places United Kingdom 115th out of 155 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Compensation of employees (% of expense) in United Kingdom, year by year
| 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% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 15.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 84% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 15.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Compensation of employees (% of expense) in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +76.5% | 8.8% | 15.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 609.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 36.23 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is compensation of employees in United Kingdom?
- Compensation of employees in United Kingdom 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?
- The highest recorded value was 16.6% in 1972.
- What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 1994.
- How does United Kingdom rank for compensation of employees?
- United Kingdom ranks 115th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is compensation of employees rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- 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 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.