Environment Agency pay gap: correction report 2022 to 2025
Updated 20 March 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environment-agency-pay-gap/environment-agency-pay-gap-correction-report-2022-to-2025
Introduction
Following a comprehensive internal quality assurance review of the analysis provided by our third‑party supplier, we identified discrepancies within several previously published pay gap figures. In response, we have undertaken a full reassessment of the affected datasets to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information we report.
The errors originated from the third-party’s bonus calculation methodology, which included staff who had not received a bonus and therefore distorted some historic gaps.
This corrections report presents the revised and fully validated figures for 2022 to 2025. The adjustments relate to pay quartiles, bonus eligibility, mean and median bonus pay gap data.
These corrections generally result in narrower bonus gaps, while maintaining the same overall trends observed in earlier reports. This consistency gives us continued confidence that the actions we have taken in recent years remain appropriate and are delivering measurable impact.
This revised dataset reflects our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and high‑quality reporting. It provides the most accurate picture of our pay position and supports the narrative and action plans set out in the 2025 pay gap report.
Figures presented are rounded to the nearest 1 decimal place at the final stage of any calculation. As a result, minor differences may occur between rounded percentages and true percentage‑point differences.
Pay quartiles
Revising the calculation methodology resulted in slight changes to the distribution of colleagues across pay quartiles, with only minimal variation across all reporting years and characteristics. The figures below display the revised data.
Table 1: corrected representation percentage across pay quartiles by gender
Data has been updated for the lower and lower middle quartiles for all years, and the upper middle quartile for 2023 to 2025.
| Year | Lower quartile | Lower middle quartile | Upper middle quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Men | 60.3% | 52.5% | 55.1% | 58.8% |
| 2022 Women | 39.7% | 47.5% | 44.9% | 41.2% |
| 2023 Men | 59.8% | 51.8% | 52.5% | 57.4% |
| 2023 Women | 40.2% | 48.2% | 47.5% | 42.6% |
| 2024 Men | 59.1% | 48.6% | 55.5% | 56.0% |
| 2024 Women | 40.9% | 51.4% | 44.5% | 44.0% |
| 2025 Men | 59.0% | 52.7% | 50.8% | 54.9% |
| 2025 Women | 41.0% | 47.3% | 49.2% | 45.1% |
Table 2: corrected representation percentage across pay quartiles by disability
Disability data for the lower, lower middle and upper middle quartiles has been updated for all years.
| Year | Lower quartile | Lower middle quartile | Upper middle quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Disabled | 14.7% | 16.7% | 15.8% | 13.9% |
| 2022 Not disabled | 71.6% | 74.8% | 76.0% | 80.0% |
| 2022 Unknown | 13.7% | 8.4% | 8.2% | 6.1% |
| 2023 Disabled | 13.6% | 16.5% | 15.7% | 14.6% |
| 2023 Not disabled | 70.7% | 74.4% | 76.4% | 79.2% |
| 2023 Unknown | 15.6% | 9.1% | 7.8% | 6.2% |
| 2024 Disabled | 14.9% | 15.4% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| 2024 Not disabled | 70.0% | 75.0% | 76.0% | 78.7% |
| 2024 Unknown | 15.2% | 9.6% | 8.4% | 6.3% |
| 2025 Disabled | 16.3% | 16.0% | 16.5% | 15.5% |
| 2025 Not disabled | 70.0% | 74.9% | 75.7% | 78.6% |
| 2025 Unknown | 13.7% | 9.0% | 7.7% | 5.9% |
Table 3: corrected representation percentage across pay quartiles by ethnicity
Ethnic minority data has been updated for all years for the lower and lower middle quartile. Upper middle quartile ethnic minority data has been updated for 2023 and 2025.
| Year | Lower quartile | Lower middle quartile | Upper middle quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Ethnic minority | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 3.9% |
| 2022 White | 92.4% | 92.3% | 92.1% | 92.6% |
| 2022 Unknown | 2.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 3.5% |
| 2023 Ethnic minority | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.1% | 4.3% |
| 2023 White | 91.6% | 91.1% | 91.4% | 92.3% |
| 2023 Unknown | 2.5% | 3.2% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| 2024 Ethnic minority | 6.8% | 6.7% | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| 2024 White | 87.0% | 89.1% | 89.8% | 91.7% |
| 2024 Unknown | 6.2% | 4.2% | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| 2025 Ethnic minority | 7.3% | 8.1% | 6.2% | 4.6% |
| 2025 White | 85.4% | 86.4% | 88.7% | 90.8% |
| 2025 Unknown | 7.3% | 5.5% | 5.1% | 4.7% |
Table 4: corrected representation percentage across pay quartiles by religion and belief
Religion and belief data has been updated for all years for the lower and lower middle quartile, in addition to the upper middle quartile for 2023 and 2025, and the upper quartile for 2024.
| Year | Lower quartile | Lower middle quartile | Upper middle quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Religion and belief | 37.9% | 37.4% | 38.2% | 41.9% |
| 2022 No religion and belief | 41.1% | 45.7% | 44.3% | 43.1% |
| 2022 Unknown | 21.0% | 16.9% | 17.6% | 15.0% |
| 2023 Religion and belief | 35.1% | 36.8% | 36.4% | 41.1% |
| 2023 No religion and belief | 43.2% | 47.0% | 47.1% | 43.6% |
| 2023 Unknown | 21.7% | 16.2% | 16.5% | 15.3% |
| 2024 Religion and belief | 33.9% | 35.3% | 35.7% | 39.8% |
| 2024 No religion and belief | 45.3% | 48.5% | 48.4% | 44.8% |
| 2024 Unknown | 20.8% | 16.2% | 15.9% | 15.3% |
| 2025 Religion and belief | 34.7% | 34.9% | 35.3% | 39.6% |
| 2025 No religion and belief | 46.1% | 48.8% | 49.1% | 46.1% |
| 2025 Unknown | 19.2% | 16.3% | 15.6% | 14.3% |
Table 5: corrected representation percentage across pay quartiles by sexual orientation
LGBO (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other) data has been updated for all years for the lower quartile and lower middle quartile, as well as the upper middle quartile for 2023 and 2025.
| Year | Lower quartile | Lower middle quartile | Upper middle quartile | Upper quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 LGBO | 4.4% | 4.0% | 3.8% | 2.6% |
| 2022 Heterosexual | 76.9% | 82.5% | 81.4% | 85.2% |
| 2022 Unknown | 18.7% | 13.5% | 14.9% | 12.2% |
| 2023 LGBO | 5.4% | 5.8% | 4.0% | 3.2% |
| 2023 Heterosexual | 74.7% | 80.5% | 82.5% | 83.9% |
| 2023 Unknown | 19.9% | 13.7% | 13.5% | 12.9% |
| 2024 LGBO | 7.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 3.6% |
| 2024 Heterosexual | 73.6% | 80.1% | 81.4% | 83.9% |
| 2024 Unknown | 18.9% | 14.5% | 13.3% | 12.6% |
| 2025 LGBO | 7.4% | 6.7% | 5.6% | 3.8% |
| 2025 Heterosexual | 74.6% | 79.1% | 81.4% | 84.4% |
| 2025 Unknown | 18.0% | 14.2% | 13.0% | 11.8% |
Bonus eligibility
The percentage of colleagues receiving bonuses has been recalculated for all years and characteristics. The corrected data and the differences in percentage points (pp) are in the figures.
Table 6: comparison of previous and corrected bonus eligibility by gender
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Previous | 90.6% | 89.3% |
| 2022 Corrected | 89.6% | 88.2% |
| 2022 Difference (pp) | -1.0 | -1.1 |
| 2023 Previous | 83.2% | 80.5% |
| 2023 Corrected | 81.3% | 78.9% |
| 2023 Difference (pp) | -1.9 | -1.6 |
| 2024 Previous | 80.4% | 81.0% |
| 2024 Corrected | 80.1% | 80.8% |
| 2024 Difference (pp) | -0.3 | -0.2 |
| 2025 Previous | 87.1% | 88.9% |
| 2025 Corrected | 86.6% | 88.6% |
| 2025 Difference (pp) | -0.5 | -0.3 |
Table 7: comparison of previous and corrected bonus eligibility by disability
| Year | Disabled | Not disabled | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Previous | 91.9% | 91.9% | 78.6% |
| 2022 Corrected | 91.3% | 90.3% | 74.4% |
| 2022 Difference (pp) | -0.6 | -1.6 | -4.2 |
| 2023 Previous | 87.1% | 82.5% | 69.9% |
| 2023 Corrected | 85.6% | 80.9% | 67.0% |
| 2023 Difference (pp) | -1.5 | -1.6 | -2.9 |
| 2024 Previous | 86.0% | 81.6% | 65.4% |
| 2024 Corrected | 85.8% | 81.4% | 64.8% |
| 2024 Difference (pp) | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.6 |
| 2025 Previous | 88.9% | 89.0% | 76.8% |
| 2025 Corrected | 88.5% | 88.8% | 75.2% |
| 2025 Difference (pp) | -0.4 | -0.2 | -1.6 |
Table 8: comparison of previous and corrected bonus eligibility by ethnicity
| Year | Ethnic minority | White | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Previous | 85.9% | 90.2% | 92.4% |
| 2022 Corrected | 84.9% | 89.1% | 90.5% |
| 2022 Difference (pp) | -1.0 | -1.1 | -1.9 |
| 2023 Previous | 66.8% | 82.7% | 86.8% |
| 2023 Corrected | 64.7% | 80.9% | 86.3% |
| 2023 Difference (pp) | -2.1 | -1.8 | -0.5 |
| 2024 Previous | 66.0% | 82.7% | 60.8% |
| 2024 Corrected | 65.2% | 82.5% | 59.6% |
| 2024 Difference (pp) | -0.8 | -0.2 | -1.2 |
| 2025 Previous | 78.1% | 89.4% | 75.0% |
| 2025 Corrected | 78.1% | 89.2% | 72.3% |
| 2025 Difference (pp) | 0.0 | -0.2 | -2.7 |
Table 9: comparison of previous and corrected bonus eligibility by religion and belief
| Year | Religion and belief | No religion and belief | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Previous | 92.1% | 89.4% | 87.3% |
| 2022 Corrected | 92.1% | 88.6% | 84.7% |
| 2022 Difference (pp) | 0.0 | -0.8 | -2.6 |
| 2023 Previous | 84.8% | 80.6% | 79.6% |
| 2023 Corrected | 83.6% | 78.9% | 76.7% |
| 2023 Difference (pp) | -1.2 | -1.7 | -2.9 |
| 2024 Previous | 84.3% | 79.5% | 76.1% |
| 2024 Corrected | 84.1% | 79.4% | 75.6% |
| 2024 Difference (pp) | -0.2 | -0.1 | -0.5 |
| 2025 Previous | 89.3% | 87.9% | 84.6% |
| 2025 Corrected | 89.2% | 87.6% | 83.5% |
| 2025 Difference (pp) | -0.1 | -0.3 | -1.1 |
Table 10: comparison of previous and corrected bonus eligibility by sexual orientation
| Year | LGBO | Heterosexual | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Previous | 82.4% | 91.1% | 86.2% |
| 2022 Corrected | 81.6% | 90.4% | 83.3% |
| 2022 Difference (pp) | -0.8 | -0.7 | -2.9 |
| 2023 Previous | 68.5% | 83.7% | 77.3% |
| 2023 Corrected | 64.6% | 82.3% | 74.4% |
| 2023 Difference (pp) | -3.9 | -1.4 | -2.9 |
| 2024 Previous | 70.1% | 82.6% | 74.2% |
| 2024 Corrected | 70.0% | 82.4% | 73.8% |
| 2024 Difference (pp) | -0.1 | -0.2 | -0.4 |
| 2025 Previous | 80.1% | 89.3% | 83.3% |
| 2025 Corrected | 79.9% | 89.1% | 82.0% |
| 2025 Difference (pp) | -0.2 | -0.2 | -1.3 |
Mean bonus pay gap
Investigations confirmed that the recalculation had a substantial impact on the mean bonus pay gap. The corrected figures are presented in Table 11, along with any percentage‑point (pp) differences.
Overall, the updated data shows that, in many cases, the mean bonus gaps are narrower than previously reported. Although several changes were identified, the underlying patterns remain consistent with the original analysis. This alignment provides confidence that the actions taken in response to earlier data were appropriate actions to address identified gaps.
Table 11: comparison of previous and corrected gender mean bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7.9% | 6.8% | -1.2 |
| 2023 | 8.7% | 5.8% | -2.9 |
| 2024 | 5.1% | 6.0% | 0.8 |
| 2025 | 1.2% | 3.4% | 2.2 |
Table 12: comparison of previous and corrected disability mean bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.0 |
| 2023 | -3.1% | 2.3% | 5.4 |
| 2024 | -4.7% | 1.0% | 5.7 |
| 2025 | 2.7% | 2.8% | 0.0 |
Table 13: comparison of previous and corrected ethnicity mean bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7.7% | 3.4% | -4.3 |
| 2023 | 18.1% | -1.4% | -19.5 |
| 2024 | 27.5% | 9.5% | -18.0 |
| 2025 | 17.9% | 6.2% | -11.7 |
Table 14: comparison of previous and corrected religion and belief mean bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -5.6% | -2.7% | 2.9 |
| 2023 | -6.8% | -1.5% | 5.3 |
| 2024 | -11.2% | -4.6% | 6.5 |
| 2025 | -0.6% | 1.0% | 1.5 |
Table 15: comparison of previous and corrected sexual orientation mean bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 10.4% | 0.4% | -10.0 |
| 2023 | 20.8% | 3.2% | -17.6 |
| 2024 | 23.9% | 10.3% | -13.6 |
| 2025 | 12.2% | 1.8% | -10.4 |
Median bonus pay gap
Changes in the median bonus pay gaps are shown in the figures below, alongside percentage point (pp) differences.
Table 16: comparison of previous and corrected gender median bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.0% | 6.5% | 6.5 |
| 2023 | 0.0% | 6.3% | 6.3 |
| 2024 | 0.0% | 3.4% | 3.4 |
| 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
Table 17: comparison of previous and corrected disability median bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.0% | 5.9% | 5.9 |
| 2023 | 0.0% | 3.1% | 3.1 |
| 2024 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
Table 18: comparison of previous and corrected ethnicity median bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.0% | 3.4% | 3.4 |
| 2023 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 0.0% | 8.5% | 8.5 |
| 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
Table 19: comparison of previous and corrected religion and belief median bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2023 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
Table 20: comparison of previous and corrected sexual orientation median bonus pay gap
| Year | Previous | Corrected | Difference (pp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.0% | -3.4% | -3.4 |
| 2023 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| 2024 | 0.0% | 4.2% | 4.2 |
| 2025 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
Declaration
We confirm that data reported by the Environment Agency is accurate and has been calculated according to the requirements and methodology set out in the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017.
Philip Duffy – Environment Agency Chief Executive