UK public spending on general public services by year
Spending on running government, foreign economic aid, general services and the interest paid on public debt.
£165.5 billion
5.4%
HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) put public spending on general public services at £165.5 billion in 2025-26. In 2024-25 it was £160.2 billion, so the cash figure changed by +3.3%. Adjusted to 2025-26 prices, it was £86.8 billion in 2003-04 and £165.5 billion in 2025-26. As a share of GDP it was 5.4% in 2025-26; the highest share in the table is 6.3% in 2022-23.
Spending by year
| Year | Cash | Change on previous year | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | £165.5 billion | +3.3% | £165.5 billion | 5.4% |
| 2024-25 | £160.2 billion | -2.2% | £165.7 billion | 5.5% |
| 2023-24 | £163.8 billion | -1.4% | £176.3 billion | 5.9% |
| 2022-23 | £166.2 billion | +52.2% | £188.3 billion | 6.3% |
| 2021-22 | £109.2 billion | +51.7% | £132.5 billion | 4.6% |
| 2020-21 | £72.0 billion | -11.5% | £87.5 billion | 3.4% |
| 2019-20 | £81.4 billion | +0.6% | £104.1 billion | 3.6% |
| 2018-19 | £80.9 billion | -4.1% | £106.3 billion | 3.7% |
| 2017-18 | £84.4 billion | +5.2% | £113.3 billion | 4.0% |
| 2016-17 | £80.2 billion | +5.0% | £109.0 billion | 4.0% |
| 2015-16 | £76.4 billion | +0.9% | £105.9 billion | 3.9% |
| 2014-15 | £75.7 billion | -1.6% | £105.8 billion | 4.0% |
| 2013-14 | £76.9 billion | +2.8% | £109.0 billion | 4.2% |
| 2012-13 | £74.8 billion | -5.7% | £108.2 billion | 4.3% |
| 2011-12 | £79.3 billion | +1.8% | £116.7 billion | 4.7% |
| 2010-11 | £77.9 billion | +19.5% | £117.1 billion | 4.8% |
| 2009-10 | £65.2 billion | -6.1% | £99.6 billion | 4.2% |
| 2008-09 | £69.4 billion | +5.8% | £107.4 billion | 4.4% |
| 2007-08 | £65.6 billion | +6.5% | £105.3 billion | 4.2% |
| 2006-07 | £61.6 billion | +6.2% | £100.9 billion | 4.1% |
| 2005-06 | £58.0 billion | +7.4% | £97.8 billion | 4.1% |
| 2004-05 | £54.0 billion | +10.9% | £93.6 billion | 4.0% |
| 2003-04 | £48.7 billion | £86.8 billion | 3.8% |
PESA 2026 Tables 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, line "1. General public services". About these figures · CSV
Sources and receipts
- Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2026, Chapter 4 tables, HM Treasury.
File: PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_4_tables.xlsx. Read 2026-10-15. SHA-256
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