Nearly 149 million working days were lost to sickness in the UK last year, according to official figures that lay bare the scale of a growing absence crisis. Data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) put the total at 148.8 million days lost to sickness or injury in 2025 — almost 10 million more than before the pandemic.
The sickness absence rate remained unchanged from 2024 at 2.0 per cent, a figure 0.1 percentage points above the pre‑pandemic level. Workers each lost an average of 4.4 days during the year, also flat on 2024 but still above the 2019 figure.
The ONS found that women, older workers, people with long‑term health conditions and part‑time employees recorded some of the highest absence rates. The rate for women stood at 2.4 per cent compared with 1.7 per cent for men. Workers aged 65 and over had a rate of 3.3 per cent, more than double the 1.3 per cent among 16‑ to 24‑year‑olds. Those with long‑term health conditions recorded a rate of 4.0 per cent in 2024, against 1.0 per cent for those without such conditions. Part‑time workers reported a rate of 2.8 per cent, while full‑time workers stood at 1.9 per cent – a gap that the ONS says is partly explained by the higher proportion of women in part‑time roles.
Sector and regional divides
A sharp divide emerged between public and private sector workers. Public sector staff recorded a sickness absence rate of 2.9 per cent in 2025, compared with 1.7 per cent in the private sector. The gap has persisted for all years on record, though the private sector rate dropped slightly in 2025. Analysts point to differences in job types, sick‑pay policies – private sector workers are less likely to be paid for sickness absence – and the pressure to make up lost hours in smaller private‑sector workforces.
Regionally, Yorkshire and The Humber had the highest sickness absence rate at 2.4 per cent, while London recorded the lowest at 1.5 per cent. The East of England and the North East saw the largest increases. Civil Service data for the year ending March 2025 showed Northern Ireland reporting the highest average working days lost per staff year at 10.4 days, followed by Scotland and the West Midlands at 9.7 days, with London again lowest at 6.5 days.
Minor illnesses – colds, flu and similar – remained the biggest cause of absence, accounting for 30.4 per cent of cases. Musculoskeletal problems made up 14.6 per cent, while mental health conditions accounted for 8.9 per cent. Stress was identified as a significant contributor to both short‑term (26 per cent) and long‑term (28 per cent) absence, with heavy workloads cited as a primary cause. Gastrointestinal problems overtook respiratory conditions to account for 6.6 per cent of absences. An additional 15.6 per cent of absences were attributed to “other” conditions including coronavirus, accidents, poisonings, infectious diseases, skin disorders and diabetes.
The ONS also highlighted wider strain on the NHS. Almost a quarter of people trying to contact their GP in March 2026 were unable to get through on the same day, and nearly one in five NHS patients waiting for hospital treatment had been waiting more than 12 months. Brett Hill, Head of Health and Protection at the consultancy Broadstone, said: “Delays in GP appointments and long treatment waiting lists mean conditions are often allowed to deteriorate before people receive much‑needed care.”
Government moves to overhaul sick note system
Separate NHS England data showed that 11.17 million fit notes – the official term for sick notes – were issued in 2025. Of those, more than 10.3 million were classified as “not fit for work”, a slight decrease from 10.44 million the year before. Women accounted for almost six in ten fit notes issued. Nearly one million sick notes advised “may be fit for work” status, recommending phased returns, amended duties or altered hours instead of full absence.
Mental and behavioural disorders were the most common diagnosed reason for fit notes, accounting for 36 per cent of diagnosed cases, followed by musculoskeletal conditions at 18 per cent. However, more than eight million fit notes issued last year carried no diagnosis at all, a feature of a system that critics say too often writes people off rather than helping them back to work.
Last week the government announced a new “fit note” rule to be rolled out across England in November. Under the initiative, GPs will be able to send patients to a gym, a career coach or a class instead of automatically issuing a sick note. The scheme, part of the wider WorkWell programme, aims to reduce long‑term sickness absence by focusing on support and rehabilitation, returning patients to work rather than signing them off indefinitely.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has described the fit note system as “broken”, arguing it too often “writes people off”. The Centre for Social Justice has called for responsibility for fit notes to be moved out of GP surgeries entirely and into a dedicated Work and Health Service. Since 2022, other healthcare professionals – nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists – have been able to issue fit notes, but uptake has been limited, with GPs still issuing the vast majority.
The surge in fit notes – from around 5.2 million in 2015/16 to over 11 million in 2025 – has fuelled concerns about a “sick note Britain” culture, with the system sometimes seen as a gateway to benefit dependency rather than a route back to work. Jamie Burdess, Principal Consultant at Broadstone, said: “When more than 10 million people are being signed off as unfit for work, it raises questions about whether the sick note system is working as intended.”
The economic cost is substantial. The 148 million working days lost to sickness absence in 2025 cost the UK economy an estimated £141 billion. Pre‑pandemic, the annual cost of sickness absence in England alone was around £13.3 billion, rising to £15.9 billion during the late pandemic period.
NHS staff themselves are among the worst affected. The overall sickness absence rate for the NHS in England stood at 4.9 per cent in June 2025, with ambulance trusts recording the highest rate at 6.3 per cent and hospital doctors the lowest at 1.9 per cent. Anxiety, stress and depression were the most reported reasons for sickness absence in the NHS, accounting for 29.1 per cent of all NHS sickness absence. In the Civil Service, mental ill‑health was the leading cause of long‑term sickness absence (47.1 per cent), while respiratory system illnesses were the biggest cause of short‑term absence (27 per cent). Women in the Civil Service took an average of 9.2 sick days compared with 7.2 for men.
The Work Foundation has noted that two in three workers have gone to work sick when they should have taken time off, while the ONS cautions that its Labour Force Survey estimates should be interpreted with care due to increased volatility from smaller achieved sample sizes. There is currently no way to record whether a fit note is issued for benefit or employment purposes, or to establish the employment status of the patient – a gap that reform advocates say must be closed if the new system is to work.