GeraJobs / Minimum Wage / National Living Wage (21 and over)
National Living Wage (21 and over) 2026
The UK statutory National Living Wage (21 and over) from 1 April 2026 is £12.71 per hour — up 4.1% on the £12.21 April 2025 rate.
What is the UK National Living Wage (21 and over) in 2026?
From 1 April 2026, the UK National Living Wage (21 and over) is £12.71 per hour — a 4.1% rise from £12.21 in April 2025. At a 37.5-hour week that is about £24,785 gross per year. The National Living Wage is the statutory minimum for workers aged 21 and over. Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage rates (OGL v3.0).
Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score
The National Living Wage (21 and over) (£12.71) equals 64.6% of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025).
How this is calculatedNational Living Wage (21 and over) — key figures
| Rate from April 2026 | £12.71 / hour |
| Rate April 2025 | £12.21 / hour |
| Year-on-year change | +4.1% |
| Annual gross (37.5h/week) | ~£24,785 before tax |
| Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score | 64.6 / 100 |
The National Living Wage is the statutory minimum for workers aged 21 and over.
UK Minimum Wage Calculator
Pick a worker type and your weekly hours to see real gross pay at the statutory minimum from April 2026, using the official GOV.UK rates.
The April 2026 statutory minimum for National Living Wage (21 and over) is £12.71 per hour.
On 37.5 hours/week you would earn about £477 gross per week and £24,785 gross per year before tax and National Insurance.
That rate has a Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score of 64.6 — it equals 64.6% of the ONS median full-time hourly pay of £19.67 (April 2025).
National Living Wage (21 and over) — FAQ
- What is the National Living Wage (21 and over) from April 2026?
- £12.71 per hour, effective 1 April 2026 — up 4.1% from £12.21. Source: GOV.UK (OGL v3.0).
- Who is entitled to the National Living Wage (21 and over)?
- The National Living Wage is the statutory minimum for workers aged 21 and over.
- How much is the National Living Wage (21 and over) per year?
- At £12.71 per hour over a 37.5-hour week, the National Living Wage (21 and over) is about £24,785 gross per year before tax. Your pay depends on your contracted hours.
- How does the National Living Wage (21 and over) compare to average UK pay?
- Its Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is 64.6 — the rate equals 64.6% of ONS median full-time hourly pay (£19.67, April 2025 ASHE).
Get the new rate when it changes
UK statutory rates change every 1 April. Save your email and we’ll send the new figure as soon as it’s confirmed.
Other UK minimum wage rates
Source: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, effective 1 April 2026 (Open Government Licence v3.0). Median pay context: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (OGL v3.0). The Gera Living Wage Adequacy Score is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.