Just to be clear - this means almost half of everyone in waged work in the UK is currently not earning enough to have a "minimum acceptable standard of living."
Dave Andress
Median annual gross wage for a UK employee in April 2026 was £31,524.
In 2025, a single person needed to earn £30,500 for a minimum acceptable standard of living.
A couple with 2 children needed £74,000 between them.
Richest 50 families have more wealth than combined total of 34m Britons.
Monthly estimates of payrolled employees and their pay from HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC’s) Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Real Time Information (RTI) data. This is a joint release between HMRC and the Offic...
