Research Briefing: National Minimum Wage Statistics

The National Minimum Wage (NMW) applies to most workers and sets minimum hourly rates of pay.

The rates are provided in regulations made by the Secretary for State with parliamentary approval, based on the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission (LPC).

NMW rates vary by age group. NMW rates vary by age group. From April 2022 the minimum wage is:

£9.50 per hour for adults aged 23 and over (this is the “National Living Wage” rate)

£9.18 for 21–22-year-olds,

£6.83 for 18–20-year-olds,

£4.81 for under 18s,

£4.81 for apprentices aged under 19 or in their first year of an apprenticeship.

From April 2023 the minimum wage will be:

£10.42 per hour for adults aged 23+

£10.18 for 21–22-year-olds,

£7.49 for 18–20-year-olds,

£5.28 for under 18s,

£5.28 for apprentices

The Low Pay Commission estimates that there were around 1.6 million workers paid at or below the minimum wage in April 2022, around 5% of all UK workers. This compares to 1.5 million jobs paid at or below the NMW in 2015, before the introduction of the National Living Wage.