In 2024/25 the government of the United Kingdom had an expenditure of almost 1.29 trillion British pounds, compared with 1.23 trillion in the previous financial year. Between 2010/11 and 2019/20, the UK's government spending increased at a relatively stable pace before a sudden spike in spending in the 2020s. After spending just under 889 billion pounds in 2019/20, government spending surpassed 1.1 trillion the following year, due to the high level of public spending that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Main outlays of the UK government The government is expected to spend approximately 379 billion British pounds on social protection in the 2025/26 financial year, followed by 277 billion on health, and 146 billion on education. As a share of GDP, social protection spending has consistently been the government's main outlay for several decades. Health spending has, however, become far more prominent. In the late 1970s, the government spent more on education, and defence than it did on health, with health spending increasing from 3.9 percent in 1978/79, to 8.4 percent by 2024/25. Defence spending in particular was cut significantly after the end of the Cold War, although geopolitical instability is forcing the government to rethink these cuts. Spending cuts politically dangerous for Labour Since coming to power in July 2024, the current Labour government has seen its popularity plummet drastically, with approval ratings similar to the unpopular Conservative government it replaced. Part of the reason for this have been Labour's attempts to reform aspects of the UK's welfare system. Shortly after winning the last election, Labour announced cuts to winter fuel payments for pensioners, a policy they paid dearly for in political capital and one that was reversed by June 2025. An attempt to push through further reforms was effectively defeated the following month, leaving the government in a tricky fiscal situation for the next budget.

The United Kingdom government spent approximately 37.1 billion British pounds on research and development in 2018, a peak for the provided time period, an an increase of 2.3 billion compared with 2017.

The United Kingdom spent approximately 157.6 billion British pounds on general public services in 2024/25, 84.8 billion of which was spent on central government debt interest.

Government spending in the United Kingdom was last recorded at 44.0 percent of GDP in 2024 . This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Government Spending to GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Data on the UK's environmental protection expenditure by general government according to activity, 1995 to 2023.

This statistic shows the growth rate of government collective spending for the travel and tourism industry in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2012 to 2018, with a forecast for 2028. Government spending in the travel industry is estimated to grow by *** percent in 2018.

Research and development and related expenditure by UK government departments and devolved administrations

This statistic shows the government revenue and spending in the United Kingdom from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, the government revenue in the United Kingdom amounted to around 1,091.68 billion pounds, while government spending came to around 1,255.57 billion pounds.

Public sector spending on roads in the United Kingdom was over **** billion British pounds in 2024/25, a slight decrease when compared with the previous year. Throughout most of this time period, the amount spent on local roads has usually been higher than that spent on national roads.

Department for Communities and Local Government A monthly-updated list of all financial transactions spending over £250 made by the Department for Communities and Local Government in the Financial Year 2017/8 as part of the Government's commitment to transparency in expenditure. Since August 2013 the department publishes Government Procurement Card (GPC) spend at a £0 threshold.

This statistic shows the governmental expenditures for waste water management activities in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2000 to 2018, in million British pounds. It shows that governmental expenditures increased for 2005, totaling 57 million British pounds. Spending decreased over the following years, with no recorded spending from 2013 onwards.

In 2024/25 the government of the United Kingdom spent approximately 57 billion British pounds on military defence, compared with 51.5 billion in the previous financial year. Overall spending on defence, which includes civil defence and foreign military aid, reached 63.6 billion pounds in 2024/25, around 2.2 percent of GDP.

This statistic shows the United Kingdom's (UK) forecasted public sector receipts from the EU budget in the UK financial years 2018/19 to 2023/24. The totals are forecasted to steadily rise over the period, from **** billion British pounds in 2018/19 to **** billion British pounds by 2023/24.

In 2024/25 the value of tax receipts for the United Kingdom amounted to approximately 840 billion British pounds. Tax receipts form the bulk of UK government income, based on various direct and indirect taxes. Although tax income has gradually increased throughout most of this period, there is a noticeable dip in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tax revenue sources Of the revenue generated by taxation in 2024/25, over 301 billion of this came from Income Tax receipts, which was the main source of direct tax income for the government. After income tax, the next most substantial direct tax were contributions from National Insurance, which amounted to just over 172.5 billion pounds of tax revenue. The UK's main goods and services tax; Value-added Tax (VAT) amounted to 170.6 billion pounds, while Corporation Tax receipts raised 91.6 billion pounds. Although other smaller direct and indirect taxes produce notable income, these four sources were by far the main sources of income in the previous financial year. UK government finances While taxes and other sources of income raised more than 1.13 trillion pounds in 2024/25, the UK government expenditure was around 1.28 trillion pounds. This gap between revenue and expenditure was financed via government borrowing, which amounted to almost 152 billion pounds. As the UK government has been spending more than it earns for several years, this has resulted in a significant government debt of 2.8 trillion pounds building up, the equivalent of just under 96 percent of GDP in 2024/25.

Government debt in the United Kingdom reached over 2.8 trillion British pounds in 2024/25, compared with 2.69 trillion pounds in the previous financial year. Although debt has been increasing throughout this period, there is a noticeable jump between 2019/20, and 2020/21, when debt increased from 1.82 trillion pounds, to 2.15 trillion. The UK's government debt was the equivalent of 93.5 percent of GDP in 2024/25, and is expected to increase slightly in coming years, and not start falling until the end of this decade. Public finances in a tight spot With government debt approaching 100 percent of GDP, the UK finds itself in a tricky fiscal situation. If the UK can't reduce it's spending, or increase its revenue, the government will have to continue borrowing large amounts, increasing the debt further. Adding to the problem, is the fact that financing this debt has got steadily more expensive recently, with the government currently spending more on debt interest than it does on defence, transport, and public order and safety. Can the UK grow out its debt? After the Second World War, when the national debt reached over 250 percent of GDP, the UK managed to reduce its debt-to-GDP ratio, due to the economy growing faster than its debt over a long period of time. This is certainly the hope of the current Labour government, who are seeking to avoid significant tax and spending adjustments by strengthening the economy. Overdue investments in infrastructure and increased capital spending may eventually achieve this goal, but the government's declining popularity suggests they may not be in power by the time these policies might eventually bear fruit.