Economy, jobs and prices in Wales, United Kingdom: official figures
Gross domestic product in Wales was £31,484 per head in 2024, 76% of the UK figure of £41,627 and 2nd lowest of 12 UK nations and English regions; ten years earlier, in 2014, it was £21,559.
What is the average salary in Wales?
Employees living in Wales had median gross pay of £601.80 a week in April 2025, below the UK median of £642.50 and up 4.7% on a year earlier; that ranks 9th of the 12 UK nations and regions.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyWhat is the average household income in Wales?
Gross disposable household income, the money households have to spend or save after taxes and benefits, averaged £21,469 per person in Wales in 2024, compared with £25,965 for the UK as a whole (2nd lowest of 12).
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyHow productive is the economy of Wales?
Each hour worked in Wales produced £35.15 of gross value added in 2023 (England £42.39), up from £29.70 in 2018; on this productivity measure Wales placed 12th of the 12.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyWhat is the employment rate in Wales?
74.1% of people aged 16 to 64 in Wales were in work in 2023 (UK 75.7%), 4th lowest of 12, while 23.0% were economically inactive, neither working nor looking for work.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyHow many businesses are there in Wales?
Wales had 100,420 active businesses in 2024, 3.5% of the UK total, and 4.4% of firms with ten or more employees were classed as high-growth.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyHow much does Wales export?
Businesses in Wales exported goods and services worth £31,615 million in 2023; the stock of inward foreign direct investment stood at £65,497 million in 2024, and firms spent £884 million on research and development.
Source: Office for National Statistics · saved copyHow Wales compares with other nations
GDP per head (£, current prices) (2024)
Wales ranks 11 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | GDP per head (£, current prices) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | North West | £36,926 |
| 7 | Northern Ireland | £35,108 |
| 8 | Yorkshire and the Humber | £34,041 |
| 9 | West Midlands | £33,969 |
| 10 | East Midlands | £32,064 |
| 11 | Wales | £31,484 |
| 12 | North East | £29,957 |
Gross disposable household income per head (£) (2024)
Wales ranks 11 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Gross disposable household income per head (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | East Midlands | £22,761 |
| 7 | North West | £22,523 |
| 8 | Northern Ireland | £22,258 |
| 9 | West Midlands | £22,064 |
| 10 | Yorkshire and the Humber | £21,913 |
| 11 | Wales | £21,469 |
| 12 | North East | £20,562 |
Median gross weekly pay of residents (£) (April 2025)
Wales ranks 9 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Median gross weekly pay of residents (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | North West | £615.9 |
| 7 | South West | £613.6 |
| 8 | East Midlands | £605.9 |
| 9 | Wales | £601.8 |
| 10 | Yorkshire and the Humber | £600.0 |
| 11 | Northern Ireland | £594.1 |
| 12 | North East | £577.9 |
Gross value added per hour worked (£) (2023)
Wales ranks 12 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Gross value added per hour worked (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | South West | £38.75 |
| 7 | Northern Ireland | £36.88 |
| 8 | Yorkshire and the Humber | £36.82 |
| 9 | West Midlands | £36.02 |
| 10 | North East | £35.82 |
| 11 | East Midlands | £35.61 |
| 12 | Wales | £35.15 |
Employment rate, ages 16 to 64 (%) (2023)
Wales ranks 9 of 12, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Employment rate, ages 16 to 64 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Scotland | 74.7% |
| 7 | London | 74.6% |
| 8 | Yorkshire and the Humber | 74.2% |
| 9 | Wales | 74.1% |
| 10 | North West | 73.8% |
| 11 | Northern Ireland | 73.6% |
| 12 | North East | 72.8% |
More on Wales: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · the United Kingdom
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Explore Local Statistics: all datasets (spreadsheet generated 22 October 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 ae2f3a7b3960…)
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