Wage Payments into Accounts Statistics in United Kingdom (2026)
36.3% of adults in the United Kingdom received wage payments into an account in 2021, World Bank Global Findex data show. Down from 54.2% in 2017 to 36.3% in 2021 (−17.9 percentage points). United Kingdom ranks #30 of 46 economies in Europe & Central Asia on this measure, and #46 of 140 globally.
Key Statistics
- Latest value (2021)
- 36.3% (2021)
- Wage Payments into Accounts in the United Kingdom as of 2021, the most recent observation in World Bank Global Findex data.
- Change since 2017
- −17.9 pp (2021)
- Down from 54.2% in 2017 to 36.3% in 2021 (−17.9 percentage points).
- Earliest value in this dataset (2014)
- 51.5% (2014)
- Earliest observation in this dataset, which covers 1990 onward (the source series may begin earlier). Down from 51.5% in 2014 to 36.3% in 2021.
- Peak value (2017)
- 54.2% (2017)
- Highest value in the available series; the 2021 value is 36.3%.
- Rank in Europe & Central Asia
- #30 of 46 (2021)
- The United Kingdom ranks 30 of 46 countries in Europe & Central Asia with data, based on each country's latest value.
- Global rank
- #46 of 140 (2021)
- The United Kingdom ranks 46 of 140 countries with data globally.
- Europe & Central Asia average
- 43.6% (2021)
- The United Kingdom (36.3%) is below the average of 43.6% across the 46 countries in Europe & Central Asia with data.
- Among women (2021)
- 31.8% (2021)
- Value for women in the United Kingdom, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
- Among men (2021)
- 40.9% (2021)
- Value for men in the United Kingdom, same 2021 World Bank Global Findex data.
- Gender gap (women minus men)
- −9.1 pp (2021)
- In 2021, the figure was 31.8% for women and 40.9% for men — 9.1 percentage points lower among women.
- Internet use in the United Kingdom (2024)
- 95.5% (2024)
- 95.5% of the population in the United Kingdom used the internet in 2024 (World Bank); shown for context only.
- Population (2024)
- 69.2 million (2024)
- The United Kingdom had a population of 69.2 million in 2024 (World Bank); shown for scale only.
Trend, 2014–2021
| Year | % of adults (age 15+) | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36.3% | −17.9 pp |
| 2017 | 54.2% | +2.8 pp |
| 2014 | 51.5% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What share of adults in the United Kingdom received wage payments into an account?
36.3% of adults in the United Kingdom received wage payments into an account in 2021, according to World Bank Global Findex data.
Is there a gender gap in wage payments into accounts in the United Kingdom?
Yes — in 2021 the figure was 31.8% for women and 40.9% for men, a gap of 9.1 percentage points in favor of men.
When did wage payments into accounts in the United Kingdom peak?
The highest value in the available series was 54.2% in 2017; the latest (2021) value is 36.3%.
How recent is the wage payments into accounts data for the United Kingdom?
The most recent observation is from 2021. World Bank Global Findex data is reported with a lag, so 2021 is the latest available year for the United Kingdom.
Where does the wage payments into accounts data for the United Kingdom come from?
The data comes from the World Bank Global Findex (indicator fin32.acc). The latest observation for the United Kingdom is from 2021; the snapshot was retrieved on 2026-06-10.
Source & methodology
Source: World Bank Global Findex, indicator
fin32.acc, retrieved .
Figures are shown exactly as published in the source dataset; only the change column of the trend table is computed from adjacent published values.Read more on the methodology page. All figures are estimates and projections; this is not financial advice.
Last updated .