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Analysis

National
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What is the Total UK Public Spending?

For the year ending in March 2027:
Total UK public spending, including central government and local authorities, is estimated at £1,383.5 billion.

UK National Spending Analysis

This page shows the current trends in UK national spending. Also see charts on UK spending history.

National
Spending

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Recent UK Total Public Spending

Chart S.01t: Recent Public Spending

Chart S.02t: Recent Public Spending as Pct GDP

Total UK public spending, central government and local authority increased briskly in the recession of 2009, exceeding £700 billion in 2011. But then total public spending has increased only modestly, reaching £800 billion in 2017. Spending increased sharply with COVID, reaching £1,100 billion in 2021. Estimated spending for the year ending March 2026 was £1,326.0 billion.

Viewed from a GDP perspective, total public spending was steady at about 35 percent GDP in the mid 2000s and then jumped, in the recession, to over 44 percent GDP in 2011. But total government spending steadily declined as a percent of GDP down to about 39 percent GDP in 2020. COVID created a bump to 53 percent of GDP in 2021. Estimated spending for the year ending March 2026 was 43.3 percent GDP.

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UK Public Spending Since 1900

Chart S.03t: Total Spending since 1900

UK public spending at the start of the 20th century was less than 15 percent of GDP, but jogged up a bit to pay for the Boer War.

Public spending vaulted to over 56 percent of GDP in World War I, and then settled down to 30 percent of GDP in the 1920s and 1930s.

Defence spending in World War II drove overall public spending over 60 percent of GDP, peaking at 70 percent of GDP in 1945 before declining to 36 percent of GDP by 1949. After a slight blip for the Korean War public spending in the 1950s showed steady spending at about 35 percent of GDP.

The 1960s showed a steady increase in public spending, reaching 42 percent GDP in 1969. The 1970s reflected the Stop-Go policies of both Labour and Conservatives, fluctuating between 41 and 48 percent of GDP.

In the 1980s public spending rose initially to over 45 percent GDP with the recession and the Falklands War, before starting a decline that bottomed out at 35 percent GDP in 2000. Public spending expanded up to 40 percent GDP by 2008 and then popped up to 45 percent in the recession after the financial crisis of 2008-09. In the 2010s public spending slowly declined reaching 39.3 percent GDP in 2019, bumping to 53 percent of GDP after COVID in 2021.

For 2026 spending was 43.3 percent GDP.

Major UK Public Spending Programs

Chart S.04t: Major Spending Programs

UK public spending in 1990 at the end of the premiership of Margaret Thatcher was 30 percent of GDP. Major spending functions were Pensions at 3.58 percent GDP; Health Care at 3.66 percent GDP; Education at 3.68 percent GDP and Welfare at 5.48 percent GDP.

By 2000 UK public spending was up a little at 31.1 percent of GDP. Major spending functions were Pensions, up sharply at 6.00 percent GDP; Health Care at 4.52 percent GDP; Education at 3.90 percent GDP and Welfare at 5.38 percent GDP.

By 2010 UK public spending was up sharply at 43.1 percent of GDP in the aftermath of the global credit crisis. Major spending functions were Pensions, up to 7.45 percent GDP; Health Care up to 6.94 percent GDP; Education up to 5.67 percent GDP and Welfare at 7.09 percent GDP.

By 2020 UK public spending was down to 39.32 percent of GDP just before COVID. Major spending functions were Pensions, down to 7.15 percent GDP; Health Care up to 7.30 percent GDP; Education down to 4.03 percent GDP and Welfare down to 5.33 percent GDP.

By 2023 after the COVID era UK public spending was up to 45.29 percent of GDP. Major spending functions were Pensions, at 7.10 percent GDP; Health Care up to 8.45 percent GDP; Education at 4.21 percent GDP and Welfare at 5.88 percent GDP.

Top Spending Requests:

Find NATIONAL DEBT today and history.

See DEFENCE SPENDING.

Check OVERALL EXPENDITURE.

Check SPENDING breakdown, details and history.

Get WELFARE stats, HEALTH CARE stats, and EDUCATION stats.

DOWNLOAD spending or national debt.

Get BUDGET details and est. vs. actual.

See PIE CHARTS of total spending, central spending.

See CHART GALLERY of spending.

See COUNTRY SPENDING for England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland.

See REGIONAL SPENDING for London etc.

See BAR CHARTS of spending, debt.

See PIE CHARTS here.

Make your own CUSTOM CHART.

Spending Data Sources

Expenditure data since 1983 comes from HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis reports.

Detailed table of spending data sources here.

Gross Domestic Product data comes from measuringworth.com.

Central government spending data begins in 1692.

Local authority spending data begins in 1868.

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Data Sources for 2022_2028:

Sources for 2022:

GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables
Spending: HM Treasury PESA
Debt: OBR Public Finances Databank

Sources for 2028:

GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables
Spending: HM Treasury PESA
Debt: OBR Public Finances Databank

> spending data sources for other years

UK GDP and Public Debt Update -- March 2026

On July 23, 2026 ukpublicspending.co.uk updated UK GDP and public debt outturn and forecasts released with the Office of Budget Responsibility in March 2026.

Recent and forecast GDP comes from the UK Office of Budget Responsibility's Economic and fiscal outlook report, using table 1.1 from tab "1.1" and table 1.2 from tab "1.2" in a spreadsheet file labeled "March 2026 Economic and fiscal outlook -- detailed forecast tables: economy". UK GDP previous to 2009 comes from Measuring Worth. The data goes back to 1700.

Note that chain-linked GDP is now in 2019 pounds.

Public sector net debt, outturn and forecast, comes from a tab called "Aggregates (£bn)" in the Public Finances Databank spreadsheet at the Office of Budget Responsibility.