I have just read on a thread that the average family income in the UK is 24k ...

[BarbieLovesKen]

surely that cant be right because I'm completely shocked!! that equates to approx ?28,662k

I've read that too, although I think it's the average INCOME not FAMILY INCOME. It's meant to be skewed quite high because there are a few very high earners (i.e. if you took the top 5% out it would be much lower).

shocked cause its high or low?

As far as I understand it it IS per family not individual income

Average is a bit meaningless though

It doesn't mean that most people earn that.

Agree @ Bramshott, it's skewed by the very high earners at the top.

What do you mean by "that equates to approx 28,662k"?

sorry that was meant to be a euro sign in my first post - not a question mark.

If it was individual income, I'd understand but family

Conkertree - because its so low

na, can't be right...

That is family income, yes.
average individual is around £21,800 I think

welcome to the real world

24k sounds reasonable to me and not so far removed from outr income. If you consider all the families on benefits/ living in poverty it's actually not that shocking.

I thought it was £25k per person - average income before tax (but I haven't got a link to support this)

DP brings our average down considerably ......I would be above average if it wasnt for him........

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7071611.stm

£32,779 before tax.

I would find 25k per person much harder to believe - given as conniedescending says - amount of people on benefits/pensions etc.

connnie how is your situation?

God I thought you were shocked because you thought it was too high

There are a lot of people in poverty in this country y'know

And not all families have 2 incomes, or 2 parents

Ah it that case I think £25k per person is the average full time wage before tax

As connie says, welcome to the real world.

Doesn't surprise me in the least

I am shocked. I shouldn't be, but I am.
Seems so little.
I work p/t and lot so people, most people I know earn 30-60k. Most people I work with earn that.

More importantly it isn't the amount, but the way it is spent ....

Averages are just ball park, starting figures, meaning very little when reality hits ...

I wish our family income was as much as that

most people I work with earn £18,000 - £25,000.

There are some people who earn more but my wage is somewhere between the two. I've been in this job 9 years.

CD - well, getting better now the banks have dropped their rates so that helps us from next month and we should be able to clear a bit of the arrears then too.

going to be a frugal xmas but my DH may get a promotion in the new year (fingers crossed) and that will help enormously.

thnaks for asking....I really appreciate that

What I was surprised (from the bbc link) at is that only 79% have mobiles. I know very few people these days who don't at least have a PAYG for emergencies....

Oh, don't worry!! I'm in the real world a while now!!

I just think it sounds so little, considering the cost of living, but then I'm in Ireland so maybe the cost of living is much higher than the UK - have heard we're one of the most expensive countries to live in so maybe thats what I'm basing it on..

Danny Baker doesn't have a mobile. Nor does Paul Merton.

gawd....my bil earns 55k and that seems like a HUGE salary to me - always think of him as my rich relation

if we had a combined income of 40k plus we could live very comfortably with money spare for holidays, days out, new clothes etc

That's more than we are on. Can't believe you are shocked.
I wouldn't say we were poor, we are well off compared to a lot of people, although we are struggling at the moment.