What is the sickness absence rate in the UK?

The ONS estimated the UK sickness absence rate at 2.0% of working hours in 2025, unchanged from 2024 and 0.1 percentage points above the 2019 level. Its article published 1 May 2026 puts the total at 148.8 million working days lost to sickness or injury, an average of 4.4 days per worker.

Rates were highest among women, older workers, people with long-term health conditions, part-time workers and public sector employees. Minor illnesses were the most common reason given, at 30.4% of absences, followed by other conditions, musculoskeletal problems and mental health conditions.

These are official statistics in development, based on the Labour Force Survey. NHS England publishes its own monthly NHS staff sickness absence rate, which is measured differently and should not be compared directly.

Official sources: ONS: Sickness absence in the UK labour market

The latest figure

The newest value is at Office for National Statistics (ONS). More on it: Average weekly hours worked in the UK.

When is the next figure out?

Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am, in the ONS labour market release; next release 20 October 2026

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Mean
  The total of all values divided by how many there are. Often what people mean by 'average', it can be pulled up or down by a few extreme values.
• Seasonally adjusted
  Figures that have had regular calendar patterns removed, such as Christmas shopping or summer jobs, so that underlying movements between months or quarters can be seen.
• Full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount
  FTE converts part-time posts into full-time units, so two half-time staff count as one FTE. Headcount counts each person once regardless of hours.
• Survey sample
  The group of people or businesses selected to take part in a survey, chosen so that their answers can be used to estimate figures for the whole population.

Related questions

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• How are public sector pay rises decided?

This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about work, pay and employment: all Work, pay and employment questions.