Working days lost in Great Britain

35.2 million

Estimated working days lost due to work-related ill health and non-fatal workplace injuries in 2022/23 (LFS)

Working days lost, 2022/23

Workplace injuries and ill health Estimated working days lost
Work-related ill health 31.5
Non-fatal workplace injuries 3.7
  • Stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health in 2022/23, 17.1 million and 6.6 million respectively.
  • On average, each person suffering took around 15.8 days off work. This varies as follows:
    • 6.6 days for Injuries
    • 17.8 days for Ill health cases
    • 19.6 days for Stress, depression or anxiety
    • 13.9 days for Musculoskeletal disorders

Change over time

  • Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, working days lost per worker due to self-reported work-related illness or injury had been broadly flat. The current rate (1.31 working days lost per worker) is higher than the 2018/19 pre-coronavirus level.
  • A chart showing how the working days lost rates have changed over time can be found in the Historical picture statistics in Great Britain report.

More information on working days lost

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Updated 2023-11-03