Personal injury discount rate 2026: UK rates, Ogden multipliers and calculator
Last updated · By Mustafa Bilgic · Rates from S.I. 2024/1261 and the Government Actuary's 2024 determinations; multipliers from the Ogden Tables 8th edition
This page sets out the current rate in each jurisdiction with its start date and the rate it replaced, shows how much the change moves typical multipliers, and gives a calculator built on the Ogden Tables published by the Government Actuary's Department, including the reduction factors in Tables A to D.
Personal injury discount rates in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
All three jurisdictions now use the same rate. Before the 2024 reviews they differed, and the rates below still matter for claims settled before the change dates.
| Jurisdiction | Current rate | In force from | Previous rate | Set by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | +0.5% | 11 January 2025 | -0.25% (from 5 August 2019) | Lord Chancellor, by order |
| Scotland | +0.5% | 27 September 2024 | -0.75% | Government Actuary |
| Northern Ireland | +0.5% | 27 September 2024 | -1.5% (from 22 March 2022) | Government Actuary |
Ogden multiplier calculator
Discount rate, multiplier and lump sum
What the discount rate does
When damages for future losses such as lost earnings or care are paid as a lump sum, the claimant can invest the money before each loss is actually incurred. The discount rate is the rate of return the court assumes, net of damages inflation. A higher rate means a smaller multiplier and a smaller lump sum. The Ministry of Justice describes it as a percentage used to help calculate how much defendants pay in serious, life-changing personal injury cases when damages are paid as a lump sum.
In England and Wales the Lord Chancellor sets the rate under the Damages Act 1996 and must review it every five years. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the Government Actuary reviews and sets it. In each jurisdiction a court can use a different rate if a party shows it is more appropriate in the case.
| Loss | -1.5% (NI before) | -0.75% (Scotland before) | -0.25% (E&W before) | +0.5% (now) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss for life, man aged 30 (Table 1) | 89.74 | 69.82 | 59.75 | 48.10 |
| Loss for life, woman aged 50 (Table 2) | 51.33 | 43.43 | 39.09 | 33.65 |
| Earnings to 68, man aged 30 (Table 11) | 49.41 | 42.44 | 38.52 | 33.53 |
| Earnings to 68, woman aged 45 (Table 12) | 26.71 | 24.41 | 23.03 | 21.16 |
| Fixed period of 20 years (Table 36) | 23.35 | 21.58 | 20.51 | 19.03 |
The Ogden Tables
The Ogden Tables are the actuarial tables used to turn an annual loss into a lump sum. The Government Actuary's Department publishes them; they are in their eighth edition, and the updated tables include multipliers at +0.5%. Tables 1 and 2 cover losses for life, Tables 3 to 18 loss of earnings to retirement ages from 50 to 80, Tables 19 to 34 loss of pension from those ages, Table 35 discount factors for a fixed term and Table 36 multipliers for a fixed number of years. Tables 1 to 34 have separate figures for men and women and allow for projected mortality.
For a loss of earnings, the multiplier is then reduced for risks other than mortality, such as periods out of work, using Tables A to D. These depend on sex, whether the person is employed, whether they are disabled under the Ogden definition and their highest qualification: Level 3 is a degree or equivalent, Level 2 an A level or at least one GCSE at A* to C (9 to 4), and Level 1 anything below that. The tables stop at age 54, and there is no Level 3 factor at 16 to 19.
| Age at trial | Employed L3 | Employed L2 | Employed L1 | Not employed L3 | Not employed L2 | Not employed L1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 19 | - | 0.89 | 0.86 | - | 0.87 | 0.83 |
| 20 to 24 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.87 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.84 |
| 25 to 29 | 0.91 | 0.91 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.87 | 0.83 |
| 30 to 34 | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.88 | 0.87 | 0.86 | 0.82 |
| 35 to 39 | 0.88 | 0.89 | 0.87 | 0.85 | 0.84 | 0.81 |
| 40 to 44 | 0.86 | 0.87 | 0.86 | 0.82 | 0.81 | 0.79 |
| 45 to 49 | 0.83 | 0.85 | 0.85 | 0.77 | 0.77 | 0.75 |
| 50 | 0.81 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.72 | 0.73 | 0.71 |
| 51 | 0.80 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.69 | 0.70 | 0.69 |
| 52 | 0.78 | 0.81 | 0.83 | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.67 |
| 53 | 0.77 | 0.80 | 0.82 | 0.64 | 0.64 | 0.64 |
| 54 | 0.76 | 0.79 | 0.81 | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.60 |
| Age at trial | Employed L3 | Employed L2 | Employed L1 | Not employed L3 | Not employed L2 | Not employed L1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 19 | - | 0.50 | 0.29 | - | 0.47 | 0.25 |
| 20 to 24 | 0.54 | 0.50 | 0.34 | 0.50 | 0.45 | 0.24 |
| 25 to 29 | 0.57 | 0.50 | 0.37 | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.23 |
| 30 to 34 | 0.57 | 0.46 | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.32 | 0.22 |
| 35 to 39 | 0.55 | 0.43 | 0.35 | 0.40 | 0.25 | 0.19 |
| 40 to 44 | 0.55 | 0.43 | 0.35 | 0.34 | 0.21 | 0.15 |
| 45 to 49 | 0.53 | 0.44 | 0.36 | 0.27 | 0.17 | 0.11 |
| 50 | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.38 | 0.25 | 0.16 | 0.09 |
| 51 | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.38 | 0.24 | 0.15 | 0.09 |
| 52 | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.39 | 0.23 | 0.13 | 0.08 |
| 53 | 0.53 | 0.46 | 0.40 | 0.22 | 0.13 | 0.07 |
| 54 | 0.54 | 0.47 | 0.41 | 0.20 | 0.12 | 0.06 |
| Age at trial | Employed L3 | Employed L2 | Employed L1 | Not employed L3 | Not employed L2 | Not employed L1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 19 | - | 0.81 | 0.66 | - | 0.78 | 0.63 |
| 20 to 24 | 0.88 | 0.82 | 0.69 | 0.86 | 0.78 | 0.63 |
| 25 to 29 | 0.88 | 0.83 | 0.72 | 0.84 | 0.77 | 0.64 |
| 30 to 34 | 0.88 | 0.84 | 0.75 | 0.82 | 0.77 | 0.65 |
| 35 to 39 | 0.88 | 0.86 | 0.77 | 0.81 | 0.76 | 0.65 |
| 40 to 44 | 0.88 | 0.85 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.73 | 0.62 |
| 45 to 49 | 0.87 | 0.84 | 0.80 | 0.73 | 0.65 | 0.53 |
| 50 | 0.85 | 0.83 | 0.80 | 0.65 | 0.55 | 0.44 |
| 51 | 0.84 | 0.83 | 0.80 | 0.62 | 0.51 | 0.40 |
| 52 | 0.83 | 0.83 | 0.80 | 0.57 | 0.46 | 0.36 |
| 53 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.81 | 0.51 | 0.40 | 0.32 |
| 54 | 0.82 | 0.83 | 0.81 | 0.45 | 0.34 | 0.28 |
| Age at trial | Employed L3 | Employed L2 | Employed L1 | Not employed L3 | Not employed L2 | Not employed L1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 to 19 | - | 0.39 | 0.22 | - | 0.34 | 0.18 |
| 20 to 24 | 0.60 | 0.40 | 0.22 | 0.55 | 0.31 | 0.16 |
| 25 to 29 | 0.59 | 0.42 | 0.23 | 0.49 | 0.31 | 0.16 |
| 30 to 34 | 0.59 | 0.42 | 0.27 | 0.44 | 0.31 | 0.15 |
| 35 to 39 | 0.59 | 0.44 | 0.31 | 0.41 | 0.28 | 0.14 |
| 40 to 44 | 0.58 | 0.48 | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.24 | 0.13 |
| 45 to 49 | 0.58 | 0.51 | 0.40 | 0.26 | 0.19 | 0.11 |
| 50 | 0.59 | 0.54 | 0.45 | 0.21 | 0.15 | 0.10 |
| 51 | 0.59 | 0.56 | 0.47 | 0.19 | 0.14 | 0.09 |
| 52 | 0.60 | 0.58 | 0.50 | 0.18 | 0.12 | 0.08 |
| 53 | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.53 | 0.17 | 0.11 | 0.07 |
| 54 | 0.62 | 0.64 | 0.57 | 0.15 | 0.09 | 0.06 |
Worked example: how the new rate changes an award
Example 8 in the explanatory notes to the Ogden Tables is a 48-year-old man in Scotland, valued at -0.75%, the Scottish rate when the notes were written. Running the same figures at +0.5% shows the effect of the change: the multipliers fall, so the lump sum for future loss of earnings and for care falls too.
| Step | At -0.75% (example) | At +0.5% (now) |
|---|---|---|
| Table 9 multiplier, loss of earnings to 65 | 17.55 | 15.79 |
| x 0.85 (Table A, employed, Level 1) | 14.92 = £298,400 | 13.42 = £268,400 |
| x 0.11 (Table B, not employed, disabled, Level 1) | 1.93 = £9,650 | 1.74 = £8,700 |
| Future loss of earnings | £288,750 | £259,700 |
| Care: Table 1 multiplier x £50,000 | 42.75 = £2,137,500 | 33.12 = £1,656,000 |
For how a future loss of earnings claim is built up, see our guides to future loss of earnings and care and assistance claims.
Sources and methodology
The rates were read from the England and Wales order and the Government Actuary's reports and checked against the Government Actuary's Department and Department of Justice announcements. All 36 Ogden tables were read from the Government Actuary's spreadsheet and every value at the 13 printed rates was checked against the tables printed in the explanatory notes, 28,756 values in all. The spreadsheet omits two rows of Table 19 (ages 3 and 4), which were taken from the printed table. The calculator reproduces the figures in Examples 1, 2, 4, 7 and 8 of the explanatory notes.
- The Damages (Personal Injury) (England and Wales) Order 2024, S.I. 2024/1261, on legislation.gov.uk.
- Review of the Personal Injury Discount Rate in Scotland and in Northern Ireland, Government Actuary's Department, on GOV.UK.
- New discount rate for personal injury claims set, Department of Justice, on justice-ni.gov.uk.
- Personal Injury Discount Rate guidance, Ministry of Justice, on GOV.UK.
- Ogden tables: actuarial compensation tables for injury and death, 8th edition (updated August 2022), Government Actuary's Department, on GOV.UK.
- Damages Act 1996, sections A1 and B1 and Schedules B1 and C1, on legislation.gov.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What is the personal injury discount rate in 2026?
It is +0.5% in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The England and Wales rate has applied since 11 January 2025, and the Scotland and Northern Ireland rates since 27 September 2024.
What was the previous discount rate?
In England and Wales it was -0.25%, from 5 August 2019. In Scotland it was -0.75%. In Northern Ireland it was -1.5%, from 22 March 2022.
How does the discount rate affect compensation?
A higher rate assumes the claimant earns more by investing the lump sum, so the multipliers and the lump sum are lower. For a man aged 40 claiming loss of earnings to 65, the Table 9 multiplier is 22.78 at +0.5%, against 24.97 at -0.25%.
Which edition of the Ogden Tables is current?
The 8th edition, published by the Government Actuary's Department. The updated tables (August 2022) include multipliers at +0.5%, the rate now used in all three UK jurisdictions.
How often is the discount rate reviewed?
In England and Wales, the Lord Chancellor must review the rate every five years under the Damages Act 1996 as amended by the Civil Liability Act 2018. Scotland and Northern Ireland also have regular reviews, carried out by the Government Actuary.