Civometry

Economically inactive because of long-term sickness: record highs and lows

The extremes of economically inactive because of long-term sickness as published by ONS, across the 133 periods held here (1993 Q2 to 2026 Q2). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

2,849,0002023 Q4

Lowest published

1,834,0001993 Q2

The full series

Economically inactive because of long-term sickness: 1993 Q2 to 2026 Q2ConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour01m2m2000201020201993 Q2: 1,834,000 people · published 17 August 20261993 Q3: 1,884,000 people · published 17 August 20261993 Q4: 1,930,000 people · published 17 August 20261994 Q1: 1,911,000 people · published 17 August 20261994 Q2: 1,952,000 people · published 17 August 20261994 Q3: 1,971,000 people · published 17 August 20261994 Q4: 2,031,000 people · published 17 August 20261995 Q1: 2,080,000 people · published 17 August 20261995 Q2: 2,120,000 people · published 17 August 20261995 Q3: 2,133,000 people · published 17 August 20261995 Q4: 2,152,000 people · published 17 August 20261996 Q1: 2,165,000 people · published 17 August 20261996 Q2: 2,193,000 people · published 17 August 20261996 Q3: 2,265,000 people · published 17 August 20261996 Q4: 2,301,000 people · published 17 August 20261997 Q1: 2,318,000 people · published 17 August 20261997 Q2: 2,280,000 people · published 17 August 20261997 Q3: 2,328,000 people · published 17 August 20261997 Q4: 2,346,000 people · published 17 August 20261998 Q1: 2,372,000 people · published 17 August 20261998 Q2: 2,367,000 people · published 17 August 20261998 Q3: 2,369,000 people · published 17 August 20261998 Q4: 2,343,000 people · published 17 August 20261999 Q1: 2,337,000 people · published 17 August 20261999 Q2: 2,349,000 people · published 17 August 20261999 Q3: 2,339,000 people · published 17 August 20261999 Q4: 2,286,000 people · published 17 August 20262000 Q1: 2,306,000 people · published 17 August 20262000 Q2: 2,290,000 people · published 17 August 20262000 Q3: 2,310,000 people · published 17 August 20262000 Q4: 2,341,000 people · published 17 August 20262001 Q1: 2,342,000 people · published 17 August 20262001 Q2: 2,341,000 people · published 17 August 20262001 Q3: 2,370,000 people · published 17 August 20262001 Q4: 2,384,000 people · published 17 August 20262002 Q1: 2,384,000 people · published 17 August 20262002 Q2: 2,362,000 people · published 17 August 20262002 Q3: 2,307,000 people · published 17 August 20262002 Q4: 2,283,000 people · published 17 August 20262003 Q1: 2,307,000 people · published 17 August 20262003 Q2: 2,261,000 people · published 17 August 20262003 Q3: 2,266,000 people · published 17 August 20262003 Q4: 2,301,000 people · published 17 August 20262004 Q1: 2,279,000 people · published 17 August 20262004 Q2: 2,315,000 people · published 17 August 20262004 Q3: 2,339,000 people · published 17 August 20262004 Q4: 2,307,000 people · published 17 August 20262005 Q1: 2,285,000 people · published 17 August 20262005 Q2: 2,296,000 people · published 17 August 20262005 Q3: 2,248,000 people · published 17 August 20262005 Q4: 2,255,000 people · published 17 August 20262006 Q1: 2,223,000 people · published 17 August 20262006 Q2: 2,242,000 people · published 17 August 20262006 Q3: 2,194,000 people · published 17 August 20262006 Q4: 2,228,000 people · published 17 August 20262007 Q1: 2,242,000 people · published 17 August 20262007 Q2: 2,209,000 people · published 17 August 20262007 Q3: 2,200,000 people · published 17 August 20262007 Q4: 2,220,000 people · published 17 August 20262008 Q1: 2,224,000 people · published 17 August 20262008 Q2: 2,174,000 people · published 17 August 20262008 Q3: 2,227,000 people · published 17 August 20262008 Q4: 2,149,000 people · published 17 August 20262009 Q1: 2,160,000 people · published 17 August 20262009 Q2: 2,144,000 people · published 17 August 20262009 Q3: 2,191,000 people · published 17 August 20262009 Q4: 2,178,000 people · published 17 August 20262010 Q1: 2,205,000 people · published 17 August 20262010 Q2: 2,246,000 people · published 17 August 20262010 Q3: 2,224,000 people · published 17 August 20262010 Q4: 2,230,000 people · published 17 August 20262011 Q1: 2,190,000 people · published 17 August 20262011 Q2: 2,189,000 people · published 17 August 20262011 Q3: 2,189,000 people · published 17 August 20262011 Q4: 2,139,000 people · published 17 August 20262012 Q1: 2,156,000 people · published 17 August 20262012 Q2: 2,140,000 people · published 17 August 20262012 Q3: 2,064,000 people · published 17 August 20262012 Q4: 2,052,000 people · published 17 August 20262013 Q1: 2,070,000 people · published 17 August 20262013 Q2: 2,064,000 people · published 17 August 20262013 Q3: 1,984,000 people · published 17 August 20262013 Q4: 2,043,000 people · published 17 August 20262014 Q1: 1,996,000 people · published 17 August 20262014 Q2: 1,991,000 people · published 17 August 20262014 Q3: 2,022,000 people · published 17 August 20262014 Q4: 2,036,000 people · published 17 August 20262015 Q1: 2,026,000 people · published 17 August 20262015 Q2: 2,085,000 people · published 17 August 20262015 Q3: 2,111,000 people · published 17 August 20262015 Q4: 2,074,000 people · published 17 August 20262016 Q1: 2,100,000 people · published 17 August 20262016 Q2: 2,042,000 people · published 17 August 20262016 Q3: 2,007,000 people · published 17 August 20262016 Q4: 1,959,000 people · published 17 August 20262017 Q1: 1,991,000 people · published 17 August 20262017 Q2: 1,982,000 people · published 17 August 20262017 Q3: 2,055,000 people · published 17 August 20262017 Q4: 1,997,000 people · published 17 August 20262018 Q1: 1,977,000 people · published 17 August 20262018 Q2: 2,043,000 people · published 17 August 20262018 Q3: 2,000,000 people · published 17 August 20262018 Q4: 2,007,000 people · published 17 August 20262019 Q1: 2,012,000 people · published 17 August 20262019 Q2: 2,030,000 people · published 17 August 20262019 Q3: 2,062,000 people · published 17 August 20262019 Q4: 2,080,000 people · published 17 August 20262020 Q1: 2,229,000 people · published 17 August 20262020 Q2: 2,233,000 people · published 17 August 20262020 Q3: 2,327,000 people · published 17 August 20262020 Q4: 2,328,000 people · published 17 August 20262021 Q1: 2,307,000 people · published 17 August 20262021 Q2: 2,297,000 people · published 17 August 20262021 Q3: 2,396,000 people · published 17 August 20262021 Q4: 2,436,000 people · published 17 August 20262022 Q1: 2,440,000 people · published 17 August 20262022 Q2: 2,506,000 people · published 17 August 20262022 Q3: 2,636,000 people · published 17 August 20262022 Q4: 2,586,000 people · published 17 August 20262023 Q1: 2,699,000 people · published 17 August 20262023 Q2: 2,706,000 people · published 17 August 20262023 Q3: 2,742,000 people · published 17 August 20262023 Q4: 2,849,000 people · published 17 August 20262024 Q1: 2,824,000 people · published 17 August 20262024 Q2: 2,824,000 people · published 17 August 20262024 Q3: 2,793,000 people · published 17 August 20262024 Q4: 2,776,000 people · published 17 August 20262025 Q1: 2,775,000 people · published 17 August 20262025 Q2: 2,780,000 people · published 17 August 20262025 Q3: 2,826,000 people · published 17 August 20262025 Q4: 2,786,000 people · published 17 August 20262026 Q1: 2,772,000 people · published 17 August 20262026 Q2: 2,774,000 people · published 17 August 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover, tap or use arrow keys to read a value; tap again to unpin
The chart as a table
PeriodEconomically inactive because of long-term sickness
1993 Q21,834,000 people
1993 Q31,884,000 people
1993 Q41,930,000 people
1994 Q11,911,000 people
1994 Q21,952,000 people
1994 Q31,971,000 people
1994 Q42,031,000 people
1995 Q12,080,000 people
1995 Q22,120,000 people
1995 Q32,133,000 people
1995 Q42,152,000 people
1996 Q12,165,000 people
1996 Q22,193,000 people
1996 Q32,265,000 people
1996 Q42,301,000 people
1997 Q12,318,000 people
1997 Q22,280,000 people
1997 Q32,328,000 people
1997 Q42,346,000 people
1998 Q12,372,000 people
1998 Q22,367,000 people
1998 Q32,369,000 people
1998 Q42,343,000 people
1999 Q12,337,000 people
1999 Q22,349,000 people
1999 Q32,339,000 people
1999 Q42,286,000 people
2000 Q12,306,000 people
2000 Q22,290,000 people
2000 Q32,310,000 people
2000 Q42,341,000 people
2001 Q12,342,000 people
2001 Q22,341,000 people
2001 Q32,370,000 people
2001 Q42,384,000 people
2002 Q12,384,000 people
2002 Q22,362,000 people
2002 Q32,307,000 people
2002 Q42,283,000 people
2003 Q12,307,000 people
2003 Q22,261,000 people
2003 Q32,266,000 people
2003 Q42,301,000 people
2004 Q12,279,000 people
2004 Q22,315,000 people
2004 Q32,339,000 people
2004 Q42,307,000 people
2005 Q12,285,000 people
2005 Q22,296,000 people
2005 Q32,248,000 people
2005 Q42,255,000 people
2006 Q12,223,000 people
2006 Q22,242,000 people
2006 Q32,194,000 people
2006 Q42,228,000 people
2007 Q12,242,000 people
2007 Q22,209,000 people
2007 Q32,200,000 people
2007 Q42,220,000 people
2008 Q12,224,000 people
2008 Q22,174,000 people
2008 Q32,227,000 people
2008 Q42,149,000 people
2009 Q12,160,000 people
2009 Q22,144,000 people
2009 Q32,191,000 people
2009 Q42,178,000 people
2010 Q12,205,000 people
2010 Q22,246,000 people
2010 Q32,224,000 people
2010 Q42,230,000 people
2011 Q12,190,000 people
2011 Q22,189,000 people
2011 Q32,189,000 people
2011 Q42,139,000 people
2012 Q12,156,000 people
2012 Q22,140,000 people
2012 Q32,064,000 people
2012 Q42,052,000 people
2013 Q12,070,000 people
2013 Q22,064,000 people
2013 Q31,984,000 people
2013 Q42,043,000 people
2014 Q11,996,000 people
2014 Q21,991,000 people
2014 Q32,022,000 people
2014 Q42,036,000 people
2015 Q12,026,000 people
2015 Q22,085,000 people
2015 Q32,111,000 people
2015 Q42,074,000 people
2016 Q12,100,000 people
2016 Q22,042,000 people
2016 Q32,007,000 people
2016 Q41,959,000 people
2017 Q11,991,000 people
2017 Q21,982,000 people
2017 Q32,055,000 people
2017 Q41,997,000 people
2018 Q11,977,000 people
2018 Q22,043,000 people
2018 Q32,000,000 people
2018 Q42,007,000 people
2019 Q12,012,000 people
2019 Q22,030,000 people
2019 Q32,062,000 people
2019 Q42,080,000 people
2020 Q12,229,000 people
2020 Q22,233,000 people
2020 Q32,327,000 people
2020 Q42,328,000 people
2021 Q12,307,000 people
2021 Q22,297,000 people
2021 Q32,396,000 people
2021 Q42,436,000 people
2022 Q12,440,000 people
2022 Q22,506,000 people
2022 Q32,636,000 people
2022 Q42,586,000 people
2023 Q12,699,000 people
2023 Q22,706,000 people
2023 Q32,742,000 people
2023 Q42,849,000 people
2024 Q12,824,000 people
2024 Q22,824,000 people
2024 Q32,793,000 people
2024 Q42,776,000 people
2025 Q12,775,000 people
2025 Q22,780,000 people
2025 Q32,826,000 people
2025 Q42,786,000 people
2026 Q12,772,000 people
2026 Q22,774,000 people

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.