UK dividends rebound 46% in 2021 but remain below pre-covid level

Heavy reliance on miners

UK dividends rebounded significantly on their 2020 lows, with the headline figure jumping 46.1% to £94.1bn, but payouts remain below their pre-covid levels, according to Link Group's latest UK Dividend Monitor.

This figure was boosted by a record amount of one-off special dividends as companies paid out £16.9bn in this format, triple the normal level. The mining sector provided more than a third of the total special dividends, contributing £6bn from just six companies. European dividends anticipated to hit record high in 2022 As a result, Rio Tinto knocked Royal Dutch Shell of its typical top spot as the company paying the highest dividends, while BHP, Anglo American and Glencore all feature in the top ten. On a headline basis, mining dividends increased 160% year-o...