Rate of record
UK minimum wage 2024
On 1 April 2024 the NLW threshold dropped from 23+ to 21+ for the first time. Roughly 3 million more workers became NLW-eligible overnight.
Rates effective 1 April 2024
- NLW (then-current threshold): £11.44/hr
- 18-20 (or development rate): £8.60/hr
- 16-17: £6.40/hr
- Apprentice: £6.40/hr
- Accommodation offset: £9.99/day
Primary source: gov.uk announcement
Uplift vs 1 April 2023
- NLW: +9.8% (£1.02)
- 18-20: +14.8%
- 16-17: +21.2%
- Apprentice: +21.2%
Context
The 2024 uprate is the watershed year for the modern NLW. The under-23 21- and 22-year-olds shifted from £10.18 (the then-23+ NLW recommended a year earlier) to £11.44 - a meaningful cash uplift on top of the band consolidation.
21+ NLW threshold introduced (previously 23+). Roughly 3 million more workers became NLW-eligible.
Full ledger including this year
| Effective | 21+ NLW | YoY | 18-20 | 16-17 | Apprentice | Offset / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2026 | £12.71 | +4.1% | £10.85 | £8.00 | £8.00 | £11.10 |
| 1 April 2025 | £12.21 | +6.7% | £10.00 | £7.55 | £7.55 | £10.66 |
| 1 April 2024 | £11.44 | +9.8% | £8.60 | £6.40 | £6.40 | £9.99 |
| 1 April 2023 | £10.42 | +9.7% | £7.49 | £5.28 | £5.28 | £9.10 |
| 1 April 2022 | £9.50 | +6.6% | £6.83 | £4.81 | £4.81 | £8.70 |
| 1 April 2021 | £8.91 | +2.2% | £6.56 | £4.62 | £4.30 | £8.36 |
| 1 April 2020 | £8.72 | +6.2% | £6.45 | £4.55 | £4.15 | £8.20 |
| 1 April 2019 | £8.21 | +4.9% | £6.15 | £4.35 | £3.90 | £7.55 |
| 1 April 2018 | £7.83 | +4.4% | £5.90 | £4.20 | £3.70 | £7.00 |
| 1 April 2017 | £7.50 | +4.2% | £5.60 | £4.05 | £3.50 | £6.40 |
| 1 April 2016 | £7.20 | - | £5.30 | £3.87 | £3.30 | £5.35 |
| 1 October 2015 | - | - | £5.30 | £3.87 | £3.30 | £5.35 |
| 1 April 1999 | - | - | £3.00 | - | - | - |