Distribution of earnings
Published:
29 October 2026
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Data on inequality in hourly pay between high earners and low earners.
Summary main findings
Between 2011 and 2025, the gap in hourly pay got smaller between 'high earners' (people who earn more than 90% of other people) and 'low earners' (people who earn less than 90% of other people).
Between 1997 and 2011, high earners earned around 4 times as much as low earners.
In 2025, high earners earned 3 times as much as low earners.
By year
Visualisation
Hourly earnings ratio of people in the 90th and 10th percentiles, over time (UK, 1997 to 2025)
Data
| Year | Ratio of earnings |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.99 |
| 2024 | 2.99 |
| 2023 | 3.07 |
| 2022 | 3.10 |
| 2021 | 3.27 |
| 2020 | 3.41 |
| 2019 | 3.46 |
| 2018 | 3.54 |
| 2017 | 3.57 |
| 2016 | 3.62 |
| 2015 | 3.73 |
| 2014 | 3.82 |
| 2013 | 3.86 |
| 2012 | 3.86 |
| 2011 | 3.96 |
| 2010 | 3.96 |
| 2009 | 3.95 |
| 2008 | 3.95 |
| 2007 | 3.93 |
| 2006 | 3.97 |
| 2005 | 4.00 |
| 2004 | 3.96 |
| 2003 | 3.98 |
| 2002 | 4.02 |
| 2001 | 4.03 |
| 2000 | 3.96 |
| 1999 | 3.99 |
| 1998 | 3.99 |
| 1997 | 4.01 |
Download
For the full download file, see Download the data.
About the data
Data source
Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), Earnings and hours worked by employees, age group: ASHE table 6.5a. Hourly pay: gross, 1997 to 2025
Time period
1997 to 2025
Geographic area
UK
What the data measures
The data measures the gap in hourly earnings between people at the:
- 90th percentile (‘high earners’) – they earn more than 90% of people
- 10th percentile (‘low earners’) – they earn less than 90% of people
The ‘90:10 ratio’ is calculated as income at the 90th percentile divided by income at the 10th percentile. For example, a ratio of 2 means that people at the 90th percentile earn twice as much as people at the 10th percentile.
Things you need to know
This data uses the ‘90:10 ratio’ rather than the Gini coefficient, a commonly-used measure of income inequality. This is for ease of understanding.
Provisional figures have been used for 2025 and these are subject to change.
ASHE covers jobs in the UK. It does not include self-employed people or employees not paid during the reference period.
Type of data
Survey data
Full report
Read more in State of the Nation 2026 on GOV.UK.
Download the data
Download full dataset (CSV, 4KB)
This file contains the following variables:
- Measure code
- Measure title
- Chart type
- Area code
- Area type
- Area name
- Primary split type
- Primary split value
- Time period
- Value
- Unit
Page history
Publication release date:
29 October 2026