The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its latest figures on sickness absence rates of workers in the UK for 2025
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its latest annual data on sickness absence in the UK labour market for 2025.
Headline figures:
- The sickness absence rate in 2025 was 2.0%, defined as the percentage of working hours lost due to sickness or injury;
- An estimated 148.8 million working days were lost to sickness or injury during the year;
- This equates to an average of 4.4 days lost per worker, unchanged from 2024;
The ONS cautions that these remain official statistics in development, and care should be taken when interpreting year‑on‑year changes.
Most common reasons for sickness absence in 2025
ONS analysis shows the following as the most frequently cited causes of sickness absence:
- Minor illnesses (eg colds, flu): 30.4%
- “Other” conditions: 15.6%
- Musculoskeletal conditions: 14.6%
- Mental health conditions: 8.9%
- Gastrointestinal problems: 6.6%
The ONS explains that “other” includes conditions such as coronavirus, accidents and poisonings, infectious diseases, skin disorders and diabetes.
Groups with higher sickness absence rates
The data shows consistently higher sickness absence rates among certain workforce groups. In 2025, those with the highest rates included:
- Women
- Older workers
- Workers with long‑term health conditions
- Part‑time workers
- Public sector workers
- Employees in process, plant and machine operative occupations
By sector, public sector workers continued to record significantly higher sickness absence rates than those in the private sector.
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