Factcheck LedgerReceipts, not verdicts

UK public spending on broadcasting and publishing by year

Public spending on broadcasting and publishing, including the BBC.

Spending, 2025-26
£5.3 billion
HM Treasury, PESA

HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) put public spending on broadcasting and publishing at £5.3 billion in 2025-26. In 2024-25 it was £4.4 billion, so the cash figure changed by +19.6%. The highest year in these tables is 2022-23, at £5.4 billion.

£5.4 billion£3.9 billion 2016-172025-26
Every value in the official series, 2016-17 to 2025-26.

Spending by year

YearCashChange on previous yearEdition
2025-26£5.3 billion+19.6%PESA 2026
2024-25£4.4 billion+9.2%PESA 2026
2023-24£4.1 billion-25.3%PESA 2026
2022-23£5.4 billion+35.8%PESA 2026
2021-22£4.0 billion+3.9%PESA 2026
2020-21£3.9 billion-11.9%PESA 2021
2019-20£4.4 billion+4.9%PESA 2021
2018-19£4.2 billion+3.0%PESA 2021
2017-18£4.1 billion-4.3%PESA 2021
2016-17£4.2 billionPESA 2021

PESA Table 5.2, line "8.3 Broadcasting and publishing services". About these figures · CSV

Sources and receipts