Site Map 
Wednesday October 29, 2025 
compiled by Christopher Chantrill

Time Series Chart of UK Public Spending

chart
wizard
download
data
download
tab-delimited
view
data
customize
chart



Use the table below to change the data series


You can display a maximum of five data series at once.

Spending Units: By default, public spending is displayed in billions of pounds. By using a dropdown control in the table heading you can select £ bln (2019), and percent of GDP.
Chart Title: You can create a title for your chart. Use the title text box to enter a title and click the button to the right of the text field.
UK or Country: By default, the chart shows overall United Kingdom government spending. But you can select spending for individual countries by selecting the country dropdown control in the table heading.
View: There are two ways to view the spending data. The default view breaks down spending into functions. There is also a COFOG view that categorizes spending using the UN standard methodology.
General Help: You can use controls on the table below to change the following variables: spending units—e.g. percent of GDP, etc.— and year. You can select the HM Treasury Budget fiscal year.
Line/Bar: By default, the data series are displayed as line charts. But you can also select a bar chart.
Data Stack: By default, the data series are “stacked” when displayed on the chart. But you can change the setting to “un stack” the data series.
Chart Size: By default, the chart is displayed at medium size. But you can use the dropdown control to change the size.
Color: By default charts are displayed with color data lines and fill. You can change this to grayscale if you want.

Data Range

Start Year: You can select any start year you want using the dropdown control in the table heading. At the top and bottom of the dropdown only years ending in “0” are shown. Select a start year to get close, then select the start year you want.
End Year: You can select any end year you want using the dropdown control in the table heading. At the top and bottom of the dropdown only years ending in “0” are shown. Select an end year to get close, then select the end year you want.
Category (max 7)Sub-categoryCentral 
Gov.
General 
Gov.
Local 
Auth.
Total   
 
Data Series: You can select up to five data series to display on your chart. Click on a checkbox to add or delete a data series from the chart. Once you get to five data series you will have to delete a series before you can add one. Click a [+] expand control to drill down to more detailed data series.
 
 All Categories

If you’d like to create your own custom chart of spending data you should use the table above to make your selections.

  • Select the year range: Select the start year and the end year you want by selecting the years you want in the two year dropdown boxes.
  • Select spending items: Just select the spending item you want from the dropdown control. Then click a radio button to select the level of government: federal, state, or local. If you select from the < select > you will add another data series to your chart. Up to 5 data series are allowed at once. Click the “X” link to remove a data series from the chart.
  • Select units: You can select the display in billions of nominal (i.e. inflated) pounds, billions of real (i.e. year 2019) pounds, or as percent of GDP.
  • Choose chart features: You can select the size of the chart, switch from bar chart to line chart, select color or black and white, stacked or not. You can also blow up the chart to fill the screen with the “fullsize” tab control above the chart display.

back to chart |back to table | back to top

Download Data File

 

Click button to download CSV file of dataset in chart.

Download Tab-delimited Data

Copy and Paste: Here is the dataset you have just charted. The table also includes nominal or chained GDP for each year charted. If you’d like the data for analysis, just copy the tab-delimited text in the textbox below (click cursor in text box, then press ctrl-A then press ctrl-C) and paste it into your spreadsheet.

View Data Series

back to chart |back to table | back to top

Below is a formatted version of the dataset displayed in the chart. Included is a column of nominal or chained GDP for each year charted.

Public Debt Transactions
Fiscal Years 1692 to 2016
YearInflationGDP-UK
£ billion nominal
Population-UK
million
Public debt transactions -total
percent GDP
1692MW gdp9.1000.34a
16930.4MW gdp9.1000.38a
16940.23MW gdp9.1000.75a
16950.23MW gdp9.1000.98a
16960.22MW gdp9.1001.09a
16970.22MW gdp9.1001.74a
16980.22MW gdp9.1002.44a
16990.39MW gdp9.1002.46a
17000.22MW gdp9.1002.06a
170159.89MW gdp9.1291.42a
1702-0.16MW gdp9.1581.43a
1703-0.97MW gdp9.1881.37a
17042MW gdp9.2171.06a
1705-1.43MW gdp9.2471.20a
1706-2.13MW gdp9.2761.52a
1707-2.5MW gdp9.3062.37a
17083.82MW gdp9.3361.90a
17097.55MW gdp9.3662.49a
17102.91MW gdp9.3962.31a
1711-7.71MW gdp9.4262.35a
1712-2.51MW gdp9.4563.15a
17132.95MW gdp9.4873.90a
17140.81MW gdp9.5173.68a
1715-3.29MW gdp9.5478.15a
17160.11MW gdp9.5783.78a
17171.86MW gdp9.6094.00a
1718-1MW gdp9.6403.15a
1719-1.57MW gdp9.6703.11a
17203.97MW gdp9.7012.88a
1721-4.43MW gdp9.7333.77a
1722-2.21MW gdp9.7643.46a
17232.41MW gdp9.7954.50a
1724-0.15MW gdp9.8263.33a
17252.04MW gdp9.8583.11a
17261.98MW gdp9.8893.00a
1727-1.64MW gdp9.9213.20a
17286.14MW gdp9.9532.46a
1729-1.81MW gdp9.9852.60a
1730-6.83MW gdp10.0172.71a
1731-0.8MW gdp10.0492.59a
1732-2.99MW gdp10.0812.61a
17330.14MW gdp10.1142.46a
17340.36MW gdp10.1462.36a
17352.37MW gdp10.1782.50a
1736-1.69MW gdp10.2112.41a
1737-1.17MW gdp10.2442.45a
1738-0.7MW gdp10.2772.37a
17390.67MW gdp10.3102.35a
17407.43MW gdp10.3432.28a
17411.43MW gdp10.3932.12a
1742-2.3MW gdp10.4442.13a
1743-1.82MW gdp10.4942.30a
1744-0.77MW gdp10.5452.42a
1745-2.59MW gdp10.5972.54a
17463.6MW gdp10.6482.44a
1747-1.4MW gdp10.7002.77a
17481.07MW gdp10.7522.90a
17491.61MW gdp10.8053.01a
1750-0.44MW gdp10.8573.22a
17510.17MW gdp10.9103.04a
17523.24MW gdp10.9632.78a
1753-1.83MW gdp11.0162.63a
1754-1.01MW gdp11.0702.80a
1755-2.04MW gdp11.1242.68a
17564.63MW gdp11.1842.63a
17577.57MW gdp11.2452.36a
1758-0.55MW gdp11.3062.41a
1759-6.59MW gdp11.3682.59a
17600.6MW gdp11.4302.86a
1761-2.29MW gdp11.4923.19a
17621.95MW gdp11.5553.70a
17635.37MW gdp11.6173.73a
17640.84MW gdp11.6813.88a
17650.81MW gdp11.7443.83a
17661.05MW gdp11.8083.63a
17673.19MW gdp11.8723.75a
1768-3.16MW gdp11.9373.75a
1769-4.12MW gdp12.0023.61a
17700.48MW gdp12.0673.72a
17715.06MW gdp12.1333.32a
17723.27MW gdp12.1993.35a
1773-0.35MW gdp12.2653.27a
17741.52MW gdp12.3323.27a
17751.06MW gdp12.3993.18a
1776-1.88MW gdp12.4673.11a
17772.47MW gdp12.5343.00a
17780.06MW gdp12.6033.22a
1779-2.93MW gdp12.6713.72a
1780-0.6MW gdp12.7403.82a
178113.08MW gdp12.8093.79a
17820.45MW gdp12.9164.07a
1783-2.25MW gdp13.0234.57a
1784-3.8MW gdp13.1315.11a
17850.7MW gdp13.2405.43a
17865.31MW gdp13.3495.21a
1787-0.53MW gdp13.4605.22a
1788-3.15MW gdp13.5725.47a
1789-1.66MW gdp13.6845.45a
17902.82MW gdp13.7984.91a
17910.62MW gdp13.9124.89a
17925.82MW gdp14.1344.39a
1793-0.74MW gdp14.3604.42a
17940.82MW gdp14.5894.85a
179510.92MW gdp14.8224.26a
17963.08MW gdp15.0594.50a
17971.11MW gdp15.2995.25a
17984.45MW gdp15.5445.87a
17997.99MW gdp15.7924.59a
18009.36MW gdp16.0443.93a
18015.48MW gdp16.3004.56a
1802-14.52MW gdp16.5086.26a
18030.83MW gdp16.7186.50a
18046.46MW gdp16.9316.20a
18053.21MW gdp17.1475.67a
18061.48MW gdp17.3656.04a
18070.51MW gdp17.5865.87a
18082.37MW gdp17.8116.17a
18096.18MW gdp18.0375.47a
18103.74MW gdp18.2675.20a
1811-3.27MW gdp18.5005.48a
18125.69MW gdp18.7365.44a
18132.09MW gdp18.9755.43a
1814-2.11MW gdp19.2175.87a
1815-7.66MW gdp19.4626.26a
1816-5.83MW gdp19.7107.56a
18172.07MW gdp19.9627.44a
18183.94MW gdp20.2176.86a
1819-4.9MW gdp20.4747.30a
1820-6.72MW gdp20.7367.15a
1821-5.84MW gdp21.0007.67a
1822-6.72MW gdp21.2918.04a
18231.59MW gdp21.5867.57a
18241.99MW gdp21.8866.73a
18258.29MW gdp22.1896.13a
1826-7.04MW gdp22.4976.76a
1827-3.53MW gdp22.8096.49a
1828-0.31MW gdp23.1256.53a
1829-4.18MW gdp23.4456.74a
1830-0.8MW gdp23.7706.45a
1831-4.61MW gdp24.1006.58a
1832-0.75MW gdp24.3666.39a
1833-3.15MW gdp24.6366.52a
18342.75MW gdp24.9086.18a
1835-0.41MW gdp25.1835.85a
18365.79MW gdp25.4625.42a
1837-1.8MW gdp25.7435.72a
18380.41MW gdp26.0285.47a
18391.89MW gdp26.3155.22a
1840-4.16MW gdp26.6065.46a
1841-1.5MW gdp26.9005.68a
1842-4.29MW gdp26.9596.04a
1843-3.49MW gdp27.0196.00a
18440.9MW gdp27.0795.52a
18451.67MW gdp27.1385.39a
1846-1.07MW gdp27.1984.89a
18476.38MW gdp27.2584.61a
1848-8.44MW gdp27.3194.87a
1849-0.56MW gdp27.3794.86a
1850-6.71MW gdp27.4395.24a
1851-1.4MW gdp27.5005.04a
18520.56MW gdp27.6564.84a
18539.46MW gdp27.8134.27a
18545.4MW gdp27.9713.92a
18550.78MW gdp28.1293.90a
18560.34MW gdp28.2893.73a
1857-1.46MW gdp28.4493.85a
1858-4.74MW gdp28.6114.04a
18593.19MW gdp28.7733.76a
18600.25MW gdp28.9363.67a
18612.47MW gdp29.1003.23a
18620.79MW gdp29.3413.22a
18633.65MW gdp29.5842.94a
18644.11MW gdp29.8292.79a
1865-2.5MW gdp30.0752.76a
18662.15MW gdp30.3242.65a
1867-1.39MW gdp30.5752.67a
1868-2.82MW gdp30.8283.16a
1869-0.04MW gdp31.0833.12a
1870-0.81MW gdp31.3413.01a
18711.76MW gdp31.4852.82a
18725.13MW gdp31.8742.71a
18733.61MW gdp32.1782.64a
1874-4.39MW gdp32.5022.69a
1875-3.39MW gdp32.8392.84a
1876-1.89MW gdp33.2002.91a
1877-1.97MW gdp33.5763.00a
1878-2.16MW gdp33.9443.10a
1879-1.97MW gdp34.3043.29a
1880-0.08MW gdp34.6233.10a
1881-0.77MW gdp34.9353.17a
18821.26MW gdp35.2073.39a
1883-2.52MW gdp35.4503.07a
1884-1.84MW gdp35.7243.08a
1885-1.34MW gdp36.0163.15a
18860.26MW gdp36.3142.69a
1887-0.18MW gdp36.5992.98a
18880.43MW gdp36.8812.69a
18892.09MW gdp37.1792.56a
18901.46MW gdp37.4852.45a
1891-2.6MW gdp37.8022.43a
1892-0.1MW gdp38.1342.47a
18930.76MW gdp38.4902.61a
18940.58MW gdp38.8592.51a
1895-1.09MW gdp39.2212.50a
1896-0.94MW gdp39.5992.41a
18971.24MW gdp39.9872.44a
18980.82MW gdp40.3812.34a
18992.36MW gdp40.7742.23a
19004.09MW gdp41.1552.22a
1901-1.38MW gdp41.5382.11a
1902-1.04MW gdp41.8932.30a
1903-0.25MW gdp42.2472.72a
1904-1.1MW gdp42.6112.72a
19050.48MW gdp42.9812.75a
19061.4MW gdp43.3612.75a
19071.58MW gdp43.7382.59a
1908-0.74MW gdp44.1242.73a
1909-0.35MW gdp44.5202.73a
19101.44MW gdp44.9162.66a
19110.58MW gdp42.1902.56a
19122.61MW gdp42.3742.53a
1913-0.17MW gdp42.5822.51a
1914-0.8MW gdp42.9572.44a
191514.36MW gdp41.3622.15a
191614.76MW gdp40.5363.01a
191724.35MW gdp39.7814.05a
191816.79MW gdp39.5824.67a
191915.24MW gdp42.9445.85a
192016.64MW gdp43.6466.33a
1921-8.17MW gdp43.9048.01a
1922-14.46MW gdp44.3328.64a
1923-7.53MW gdp44.5639.25a
1924-2.09MW gdp44.8868.68a
1925-0.26MW gdp45.0408.57a
1926-0.42MW gdp45.2188.97a
1927-1.94MW gdp45.4328.85a
1928-0.89MW gdp45.6228.96a
1929-0.84MW gdp45.7318.88a
1930-0.84MW gdp45.8899.03a
1931-1.83MW gdp46.0749.49a
1932-2.24MW gdp46.3359.68a
1933-1.39MW gdp46.5209.46a
1934-0.87MW gdp46.6667.79a
19350.79MW gdp46.8697.15a
19360.89MW gdp47.0816.76a
19373.46MW gdp47.2896.36a
19382.36MW gdp47.4946.33a
19392.88MW gdp47.5486.01a
194011.13MW gdp46.0295.13a
194111.47MW gdp44.8704.36a
19427.49MW gdp44.3234.47a
19434.44MW gdp48.2624.75a
19445.01MW gdp48.4605.26a
19451.63MW gdp48.6695.93a
19462.81MW gdp48.9886.24a
19479.08MW gdp49.5396.03a
19486.3MW gdp50.0335.65a
19493.18MW gdp50.3315.05a
19501.34MW gdp50.3824.92a
19518.55MW gdp50.2874.15a
19527.1MW gdp50.4294.21a
19531.83MW gdp50.5934.11a
19541.13MW gdp50.7653.93a
19554.92MW gdp50.9464.02a
19567.04MW gdp51.1843.84a
19574.08MW gdp51.4303.65a
19583.71MW gdp51.6533.88a
19590.76MW gdp51.9563.76a
19601.11MW gdp52.3733.96a
19613.88MW gdp52.8074.50a
19623.65MW gdp53.2924.30a
19631.55MW gdp53.6254.14a
19643.79MW gdp53.9913.98a
19656.06MW gdp54.3503.95a
19665.42MW gdp54.6433.94a
19673.05MW gdp54.9594.10a
19684.44MW gdp55.2144.16a
19696.76MW gdp55.4614.09a
19709.9MW gdp55.6323.78a
19718.57MW gdp55.9283.57a
19727.9MW gdp56.0973.24a
19739.37MW gdp56.2233.35a
197415.8MW gdp56.2363.89a
197525.7MW gdp56.2263.66a
197616MW gdp56.2163.94a
197714.17MW gdp56.1903.99a
197812.32MW gdp56.1783.88a
197914.97MW gdp56.2404.06a
198019.7MW gdp56.3304.38a
198112.31MW gdp56.3584.56a
19828.16MW gdp56.2914.47a
19835.78MW gdp56.3163.96a
19845.33MW gdp56.4093.81a
19855.62MW gdp56.5543.86a
19864.62MW gdp56.6843.99a
19875.69MW gdp56.8043.55a
19886.25MW gdp56.9163.24a
19898.03MW gdp57.0773.01a
19908.12MW gdp57.2382.81a
19916.56MW gdp57.4392.64a
19923.16MW gdp57.5852.30a
19932.79MW gdp57.7142.77a
19941.4MW gdp57.8622.57a
19952.5MW gdp58.0253.17a
19964.22MW gdp58.1643.32a
1997-0.07MW gdp58.3143.32a
19981.07MW gdp58.4752.97a
19990.97MW gdp58.6842.82a
20001.89MW gdp58.8862.31a
20011.15MW gdp59.1132.32a
20022.15MW gdp59.3661.89a
20032.45MW gdp59.6371.69a
20042.59MW gdp59.9501.71a
20052.78MW gdp60.4131.75a
20062.88MW gdp60.8271.78a
20072.76MW gdp61.3191.82a
20083.07MW gdp61.8241.93a
2009-11.631582.762.2611.98a
20101.321558.162.7601.97a
20111.941627.263.2852.90a
20121.781672.363.7053.01a
20131.881727.564.1062.87a
20141.961800.864.5972.74a
20151.251879.565.1102.45a
20160.741931.565.6482.38a

Legend:
a - actual outturn

Data Sources for 1692:
GDP: data from measuringworth.com (but now unsupported)
Spending: B.R. Mitchell, British Historical Statistics
Debt: B.R. Mitchell, British Historical Statistics

Data Sources for 2016:
GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables
Spending: HM Treasury PESA
Debt: OBR Public Finances Databank

back to chart |back to table | back to top

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.

Site Search

Top Links

tablechartspend/gdpdebt/gdpuk gdpuk real gdp2016breakdowncentral+localcentrallocaluk budgethealtheducationdefencetransport2015

Data Sources for 1692_2016:

Sources for 1692:

GDP: data from measuringworth.com (but now unsupported)
Spending: B.R. Mitchell, British Historical Statistics
Debt: B.R. Mitchell, British Historical Statistics

Sources for 2016:

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

> spending data sources for other years

On July 23, 2025, HM Treasury published its Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) for 2025. ukpublicspending.co.uk uses the PESA tables of public spending at the "sub-function" level as its major data source for UK public spending.

ukpublicspending.co.uk has now updated its spending tables using data from PESA 2025. The update includes outturn spending data for 2023-24, and plans data for 2024-25. ukpublicspending.co.uk uses PESA's Table 6.4 for Central Government expenditure, Table 7.4 for Local Authority expenditure, and Table 8.3 for Public Corporation capital expenditure.

Since HM Treasury does not provide plans estimates for future Local Authority spending, ukpublicspending.co.uk provides "guesstimates" instead. This is done by extending the percentage increase in spending between 2023-24 and 2024-25 for each sub-function for the plans year. It is assumed that local authority spending reductions will not carry through to plans years.

Country and Region spending has been updated up to 2023-24. These are obtained from Chapters 9 and 10 in the PESA document.

Quick Links

Get spending chart.

Download spending table.

Download spending data series.

Review data sources.

Masthead

ukpublicspending.co.uk was designed and executed by:

Christopher Chantrill.

Report bugs here.

presented by Christopher Chantrill

Data Sources  •  Follow @chrischantrill  •  Contact