In March 2025, 66 percent of households in Great Britain reported that their cost of living had increased in the previous month, compared with 45 percent in July 2024. Although the share of people reporting a cost of living increase has generally been falling since August 2022, when 91 percent of households reported an increase, the most recent figures indicate that the Cost of Living Crisis is still ongoing for many households in the UK. Crisis ligers even as inflation falls Although various factors have been driving the Cost of Living Crisis in Britain, high inflation has undoubtedly been one of the main factors. After several years of relatively low inflation, the CPI inflation rate shot up from 2021 onwards, hitting a high of 11.1 percent in October 2022. In the months since that peak, inflation has fallen to more usual levels, and was 2.5 percent in December 2024, slightly up from 1.7 percent in September. Since June 2023, wages have also started to grow at a faster rate than inflation, albeit after a long period where average wages were falling relative to overall price increases. Economy continues to be the main issue for voters Ahead of the last UK general election, the economy was consistently selected as the main issue for voters for several months. Although the Conservative Party was seen by voters as the best party for handling the economy before October 2022, this perception collapsed following the market's reaction to Liz Truss' mini-budget. Even after changing their leader from Truss to Rishi Sunak, the Conservatives continued to fall in the polls, and would go onto lose the election decisively. Since the election, the economy remains the most important issue in the UK, although it was only slightly ahead of immigration and health as of January 2025.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 79.81 index points. The highest value was in Bermuda: 212.7 index points and the lowest value was in Syria: 33.25 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

This statistic shows the estimated minimum outgoings required to live in London, United Kingdom (UK) for six months in 2014. The cost of rent is estimated to be, at its lowest, 2,784 British pounds over the six month period, with bills at 1,199 British pounds. It is worth noting that the estimated rent is for a shared property.

This statistic shows the average weekly housing costs in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2012, by tenure. In 2012, 58 percent of all households were paying between £60 and £119 housing costs per week.

The average agreed rent for new tenancies in the UK ranged from *** British pounds to ***** British pounds, depending on the region. On average, renters outside of London paid ***** British pounds, whereas in London, this figure amounted to ***** British pounds. Rents have been on the rise for many years, but the period after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend. Since 2015, the average rent in the UK increased by about ** percent, with about half of that gain achieved in the period after the pandemic. Why have UK rents increased so much? One of the main reasons driving up rental prices is the declining affordability of homeownership. Historically, house prices grew faster than rents, making renting more financially feasible than buying. In 2022, when the house price to rent ratio index peaked, house prices had outgrown rents by nearly ** percent since 2015. As house prices peaked in 2022, home buying slowed, exacerbating demand for rental properties and leading to soaring rental prices. How expensive is too expensive? Although there is no official requirement about the proportion of income spent on rent for it to be considered affordable, a popular rule is that rent should not exceed more than ** percent of income. In 2024, most renters in the UK exceeded that threshold, with the southern regions significantly more likely to spend upward of ** percent of their income on rent. Rental affordability has sparked a move away from the capital to other regions in the UK, such as the South East (Brighton and Southampton), the West Midlands (Birmingham) and the North West (Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool and Preston).

Average weekly earnings for the whole economy, for total and regular pay, in real terms (adjusted for consumer price inflation), UK, monthly, seasonally adjusted.

In 2022/23, the average household in the United Kingdom spent around 16.8 British pounds a week on clothing and footwear, compared with 17.2 pounds in 2001/02.

Renting an apartment in Cambridge cost on average more than 1,500 British pounds per month in December 2023, making it the most expensive cities for renters in the UK after London. In London, the average rent ranged between 1,400 British pounds and 3,700 British pounds depending on the location. On the other hand, Northern Ireland, Wales, and North East were the regions with the most affordable rents.

Expenditure on rent by renters and mortgages by mortgage holders, by region and age from the Living Costs and Food Survey for the financial year ending 2022. Data is presented as a proportion of total expenditure and a proportion of disposable income.

Detailed breakdown of average weekly household expenditure on goods and services in the UK. Data are shown by place of purchase, income group (deciles) and age of household reference person.

Modern auctions allow mortgage buyers to take part in auctions, leading to higher bids and sales prices and attracting higher-value properties into auctions. Following the 2007-08 global financial crisis, UK auction property sales accelerated, climbing around 25% between 2010 and 2013. According to the Essential Information Group (EIG), auction volumes stayed high from 2013 to 2018, with around 20,000 yearly property auction sales taking place, but they then dipped by 10% through 2020. However, climbing UK house prices have also dragged up the average value of an auctioned property, supporting revenue growth, particularly over 2021-22. Over the five years through 2024-25, the Property Auction Houses industry's revenue is expected to climb at a compound annual rate of 8% to £433.3 million. The pandemic severely impacted auction sales, with practically no properties sold between April and June 2020, denting revenue in 2020-21. However, a stamp duty holiday encouraged a flood of properties to the market later in the year. EIG stated that despite a decrease in the number of lots offered at auctions compared to 2019, most months in 2020 saw a climb in the percentage of auction lots sold. In 2021-22, revenue skyrocketed, driven by a massive hike in the average sale price of auctioned properties and a rise in the volume of property sales by auction. Over 2023-24, cost-of-living pressures and tumbling UK house prices slashed revenue by 5.5%. In 2024-25, house prices are rising again and interest rates are set to start edging downwards, which will boost market activity. As a result, revenue is slated to rise by 3.7%. Over the five years through 2029-30, revenue is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 3.8% to £523.2 million. Even with rates expected to start falling, high mortgage rates will make UK properties less affordable and soften house prices in the short term. Property auction houses will benefit from increased online auction activity as consumers increasingly value and trust the faster and more convenient online model, which offers a better chance of selling their property than estate agents.

In 2022/23, the average household in the United Kingdom spent around 63.5 British pounds a week on food and non-alcoholic drinks, compared with 72.7 pounds in 2001/02.

The effects of direct and indirect taxation and benefits received in cash or kind on household income, across the generations and by age.

This data is estimated by combining multiple years of the Living Costs and Food Survey from 1978 to financial year ending March 2017 and the Household Finances Statistics, from financial year ending 2018 to financial year ending 2021 with the exception of 1979 and 1981. All financial amounts are adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) excluding Council Tax, to their financial year ending March 2018. For example, the mean disposable income for those aged 35 and born in the 1970’s (£35,752) is estimated by taking the average (in real terms) of the household disposable income for these people across the combined dataset.

In 2024, the average annual full-time earnings for the top ten percent of earners in the United Kingdom was 72,150 British pounds, compared with 22,763 for the bottom ten percent of earners. As of this year, the average annual earnings for all full-time employees was 37,430 pounds, up from 34,963 pounds in the previous year. Strong wage growth continues in 2025 As of February 2025, wages in the UK were growing by approximately 5.9 percent compared with the previous year, with this falling to 5.6 percent if bonus pay is included. When adjusted for inflation, regular pay without bonuses grew by 2.1 percent, with overall pay including bonus pay rising by 1.9 percent. While UK wages have now outpaced inflation for almost two years, there was a long period between 2021 and 2023 when high inflation in the UK was rising faster than wages, one of the leading reasons behind a severe cost of living crisis at the time. UK's gender pay gap falls in 2024 For several years, the difference between average hourly earnings for men and women has been falling, with the UK's gender pay gap dropping to 13.1 percent in 2024, down from 27.5 percent in 1997. When examined by specific industry sectors, however, the discrepancy between male and female earnings can be much starker. In the financial services sector, for example, the gender pay gap was almost 30 percent, with professional, scientific and technical professions also having a relatively high gender pay gap rate of 20 percent.

The average for 2021 based on 165 countries was 105.854 index points. The highest value was in South Korea: 208.84 index points and the lowest value was in India: 58.17 index points. The indicator is available from 2017 to 2021. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

In the world of work, more experience often equals higher pay. But is this always the case? With factors such as the rising cost of living, inflation and changes in role requirements constantly impacting how we feel about the amount we’re paid, is there any correlation between our perception of salaries and our age?

Inflation Rate in the United Kingdom increased to 3.50 percent in April from 2.60 percent in March of 2025. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The Fast-Food franchise industry has been influenced by changing consumer preferences and the convenience of online food ordering. Demand for cheaper, on-the-go food is boosting sales of fast-food chains. Fast-food establishments have had to adapt to changing consumer tastes and rising health consciousness by introducing healthier options in their menus and vegetarian and vegan offerings to capture booming demand. The rise of vegetarianism and veganism has helped smaller franchises that focus on serving these niche markets, but more traditional chains have also innovated and expanded their menu offerings. Revenue is expected to inch up at a compound annual rate of 0.1% over the five years through 2024-25 to £12.4 billion, including forecast growth of 3.9% in 2024-25. Revenue plunged in 2020-21 thanks to COVID-19 and the forced closure of industry establishments for sit-in services, though a boom in delivery services limited this drop. Revenue rebounded in 2021-22 due to the removal of restrictions and pent-up consumer demand for going out. Following the pandemic, fast-food franchises faced escalating operating costs due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which hiked up food and energy prices, hitting profitability. Cost-of-living pressures are driving more consumers towards cheap fast-food restaurants, though many are also cutting out discretionary spending on eating out. While inflation is cooling, lingering supply disruptions continue to pressure food costs, prompting franchises to streamline operations by sourcing locally and integrating AI-driven solutions into their supply chains. Intense competition and heightened operating costs have contracted the average industry profit margin, which is expected to be 8.9% in 2024-25. Revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 4% over the five years through 2029-30 to reach £15 billion. The convenience and price offered by fast-food outlets will continue to drive demand. The growing popularity of online food delivery platforms and wider product offerings that appeal to consumer tastes will boost revenue. Gen Z’s growing spending power will shape fast-food franchises’ values and menu offerings. Fast-food franchises that provide clear nutritional information, source ingredients responsibly and continuously innovate their menus with new and exciting flavours will stand out in the competitive market.