Pensions in the United Kingdom

Average pension amounts, recipient counts, and pension participation — based on official statistics from the United Kingdom.

Data as of 2024/25

Avg. old-age pension

£920

Avg. total pensioner income

£2 210

Total recipients

11 885 000

Average pension by type over time

Average pension by type, by period
Year Avg. old-age pension (GBP/month)
2024/25 920
2023/24 850
2022/23 770
2021/22 738
2020/21 724
2019/20 692
2018/19 669
2017/18 644
2016/17 624
2015/16 608
2014/15 588
2013/14 568
2012/13 548
2011/12 515
2010/11 488
2009/10 474
2008/09 445
2007/08 424
2006/07 402
2005/06 389
2004/05 373
2003/04 360
2002/03 347
2001/02 330
2000/01 307

The State Pension figure covers pensioners resident in the United Kingdom; those paid abroad are mostly on frozen rates and are excluded. DWP publishes expenditure and caseload per financial year, so the monthly figure is expenditure divided by the number of pensioners and by twelve. Forecast years are not shown.

The State Pension is a flat-rate floor, not an earnings-related pension, so it is not comparable with countries whose public pension replaces a share of former earnings. The total pensioner income above is the comparable figure: gross income from all sources, including workplace and private pensions, for a single pensioner.

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