Workers in Wales take more time off sick than anywhere else in the UK, while employees in London take the fewest days off on average, according to a decade-long analysis of official sickness absence data.
The findings show clear regional differences in how sickness and absence affect working life across the UK. On average, workers in Wales lost 5.8 days per year to sickness or absence between 2015 and 2024, the highest figure recorded across any UK region. London, by contrast, recorded the lowest average at 3.4 days per worker per year over the same period.
The analysis was carried out by executive jobs site ChiefJobs.com, which examined sickness absence figures published by the Office for National Statistics covering the UK labour market over a ten-year period.
Regional Differences in Sick Leave
Scotland ranked second for average days lost per worker, at 5.1 days per year, followed closely by the North East of England at 5 days. The North West of England and Northern Ireland shared fourth place, with both regions averaging 4.9 days lost per worker each year.
Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands were joint fifth, with workers in both regions taking an average of 4.8 days off annually due to sickness or absence. The South West followed with an average of 4.7 days, while the West Midlands recorded 4.6 days per worker per year.
Lower figures were recorded across much of southern England. The South East averaged 4.1 days per worker, while the East of England recorded 4 days. London ranked last overall, with workers taking the fewest days off sick across the UK.
Total Days Lost Tells a Different Story
While London records the lowest number of sick days per worker, its large workforce means the total number of days lost remains high. Over the ten-year period analysed, London lost an average of 15.9 million working days per year to sickness or absence, making it the third-highest total of any UK region.
The South East recorded the highest overall totals, averaging 19.3 million working days lost per year. In 2022, the region saw 23.8 million days lost, the highest annual total recorded by any region during the decade. That same year, London recorded its highest total at 23.4 million days lost.
Across the UK as a whole, an average of 146.1 million working days were lost each year due to sickness or absence between 2015 and 2024. Over the decade, that amounts to approximately 1.46 billion working days lost in total.
2022 Marked a Peak Year for Absence
The data shows that 2022 was the most disruptive year across almost every region. Nationally, 188.3 million working days were lost to sickness or absence that year, the highest figure recorded during the period analysed. This equates to the entire UK population taking just under three days off work on average, regardless of age or employment status.
Wales recorded its highest level in 2022, with 8.2 days lost per worker on average, the highest single-year figure recorded by any region across the decade. Scotland also peaked in 2022, with 6.5 days lost per worker, while the North East recorded its highest total at 8.1 million working days lost that year.
Long-Term Patterns Across Regions
Despite year-to-year fluctuations, the analysis suggests that regional differences remain consistent over time. Areas in the south of the UK collectively recorded lower sickness absence, with the South West, South East, East of England and London averaging around 4.1 days lost per worker per year.
By contrast, Wales and Scotland consistently recorded higher per-worker absence rates, while regions such as the North West and South East lost the greatest number of days overall due to the size of their workforces.
Reflecting on the findings, Simon Fabb, chief executive officer of ChiefJobs.com, said the data pointed to long-standing structural differences across the UK labour market. “When you look at the data over a full decade, it’s clear that sickness absence isn’t evenly spread across the country,” he said.
“On average, the UK loses around 146 million work days every year to sickness and absence, which is a huge figure in itself. But what’s more telling is how unevenly that’s spread.”
He said population size and job type played a role in shaping the figures, adding, “In some regions, the numbers are striking. The North West, for example, loses an average of over 17 million work days every year, while Northern Ireland loses closer to four million – a difference of around 307%, driven in part by population size and the types of jobs people are doing.”
Fabb also pointed to persistent differences between regions, saying, “At the same time, places like the South East lose the most days overall because of their large workforces, while regions such as Wales and Scotland consistently lose more days per worker year after year.”
He added that “[t]hose gaps don’t disappear over time; they add up to millions of lost work days and point to long-standing differences in health, job types and support across the UK.”
Implications for Workplace Wellbeing
For wellbeing professionals, the data highlights how sickness absence reflects deeper issues linked to health, job design and support structures across different parts of the country. While lower absence does not necessarily indicate better wellbeing, sustained regional gaps may point to differences in working conditions, occupational health provision and access to support.
As employers continue to focus on workforce resilience and attendance, the findings underline the importance of addressing underlying health and workload pressures rather than treating sickness absence as a short-term operational issue.