UK public spending on health by year
Medical services (mostly the NHS), medical research and central health services.
£257.5 billion
8.4%
HM Treasury's Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) put public spending on health at £257.5 billion in 2025-26. In 2024-25 it was £242.4 billion, so the cash figure changed by +6.2%. Adjusted to 2025-26 prices, it was £133.6 billion in 2003-04 and £257.5 billion in 2025-26. As a share of GDP it was 8.4% in 2025-26; the highest share in the table is 10.4% in 2020-21.
Spending by year
| Year | Cash | Change on previous year | Real terms (2025-26 prices) | Share of GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | £257.5 billion | +6.2% | £257.5 billion | 8.4% |
| 2024-25 | £242.4 billion | +9.2% | £250.8 billion | 8.3% |
| 2023-24 | £222.0 billion | +4.4% | £239.0 billion | 8.0% |
| 2022-23 | £212.7 billion | -1.6% | £241.0 billion | 8.1% |
| 2021-22 | £216.2 billion | -1.1% | £262.2 billion | 9.0% |
| 2020-21 | £218.6 billion | +33.2% | £265.7 billion | 10.4% |
| 2019-20 | £164.1 billion | +7.3% | £209.9 billion | 7.3% |
| 2018-19 | £152.9 billion | +3.8% | £200.8 billion | 7.0% |
| 2017-18 | £147.3 billion | +3.3% | £197.8 billion | 7.0% |
| 2016-17 | £142.6 billion | +3.0% | £193.9 billion | 7.0% |
| 2015-16 | £138.5 billion | +3.3% | £192.1 billion | 7.1% |
| 2014-15 | £134.1 billion | +3.6% | £187.3 billion | 7.1% |
| 2013-14 | £129.4 billion | +4.1% | £183.3 billion | 7.1% |
| 2012-13 | £124.3 billion | +2.5% | £179.7 billion | 7.2% |
| 2011-12 | £121.3 billion | +1.2% | £178.4 billion | 7.2% |
| 2010-11 | £119.9 billion | +2.6% | £180.1 billion | 7.3% |
| 2009-10 | £116.9 billion | +7.5% | £178.6 billion | 7.5% |
| 2008-09 | £108.7 billion | +7.5% | £168.2 billion | 6.8% |
| 2007-08 | £101.1 billion | +6.8% | £162.3 billion | 6.4% |
| 2006-07 | £94.7 billion | +5.5% | £155.0 billion | 6.3% |
| 2005-06 | £89.8 billion | +8.3% | £151.4 billion | 6.3% |
| 2004-05 | £82.9 billion | +10.7% | £143.6 billion | 6.2% |
| 2003-04 | £74.9 billion | £133.6 billion | 5.9% |
PESA 2026 Tables 4.2, 4.3 and 4.4, line "7. Health". 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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