Analysis  

What are the biggest public spending programs in the UK?

In 2016, the three biggest government programs are health care (i.e, the NHS), state pensions, and welfare.

Public Spending Details for 2016

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£ billion£ millionpercent GDP% non-gov GDPpercent Centralpercent Total£000 per capit£ per capitacodes Spending Units: By default, public spending is displayed in billions of pounds. By using a dropdown control in the table heading you can select millions of pounds, percent of GDP, percent of central government spending, and percent of total spending. 1692170017101720173017401750176017701780179018001810182018301840185018601870188018901900191019201930194019501960197019801990199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016 Fiscal Year: The default year displayed is the current HM Treasury fiscal year. But you can select any year you want using the dropdown control in the table heading. You can increase or decrease the year using the “yr” text links in the table heading. At the top and bottom of the dropdown only years ending in “0” are shown. Select a year to get close, then select the year you want. United Kingdom-------------EnglandScotlandWalesNorthern IrelandNorth EastNorth WestYorkshire and HumberEast MidlandsWest MidlandsEast EnglandLondonSouth EastSouth West UK or Country/Region: By default, the table shows values for all spending in the United Kingdom. But you can select individual countries by selecting the country dropdown control in the table heading. No Pie ChartTotal PieCentral PieLocal Pie Pie Chart: You can select a pie chart. You can create a pie chart for central government, local authority, and overall spending/revenue. PESA 2015PESA 2014PESA 2013PESA 2012PESA 2011PESA 2010PESA 2009PESA 2008PESA 2007PESA 2006PESA 2005PESA 2004PESA 2003PESA 2002PESA 2001PESA 2000PESA 1999PESA 1998 HM Treasury PESA Year: By default, the table displays planned and outturn public spending in the current HM Treasury PESA. But you can look at previous planned numbers using the dropdown control at the bottom of the table. full screen
GDP: £1,877.5 billion(1)	United Kingdom Central Government and Local Authority Spending -5yr -1yr     Fiscal Year 2016     Amounts in £ billion	Pop: 64.8 million

Change View:	default COFOG	Central (2)	General Gov.(2)	Local (2)	Total	charts
[+] Pensions		153.3	0.0	0.0	153.3
[+] Health Care		134.7	0.0	3.2	137.9
[+] Education		43.8	0.0	45.6	89.4
[+] Bar Chart: Click on a chart icon to display a bar chart. There are chart icons along the base of the table; they create charts to depict the numbers in the chart columns. There are also chart icons along the right edge of the table; they create charts to depict the numbers in the table rows. [+] Drill-down: Click on the [+] to drill down to more detailed numbers on public spending. Defence		45.0	0.0	0.1	45.1
[+] Welfare		54.3	0.0	56.2	110.5
[+] Protection		13.9	0.0	14.9	28.8
[+] Transport		18.6	0.0	8.7	27.3
[+] General Government		9.2	0.0	4.4	13.5
[+] Other Spending		66.5	0.0	39.5	106.0
[+] Interest		46.7	0.0	0.8	47.5
[+] Balance		1.8	0.0	-1.5	-45.4
[+] Total Spending:  Start chart		587.7	0.0	171.8	759.5
[+] Public Net Debt		0.0	0.0	0.0	1,532.9
[+] Current Budget Deficit		0.0	0.0	0.0	45.7
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Key: Pie Chart: You can select a pie chart. You can create a pie chart for central government, local authority, and overall spending/revenue. plan guesstimated GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables Spending: HM Treasury PESA				Switch to revenue

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The table shows overall public spending—central government and local authorities—in the United Kingdom for the specified fiscal year. Government expenditure totals are aggregated for each major government function.

All outlays for British public spending prior to 2011 are outturn. More recent spending, including future years out to 2015, are estimated outturn, planned, or guesstimated.

Public sector expenditure between 1992 through 2015 is based on Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis (PESA) function or subfunction data published by HM Treasury.

You can use controls on the table to change the year or to drill down to view more detailed spending information. You can also view the spending data as percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Click the button at the right of each line of the table to display a bar chart of public spending in Britain. Click a button at the base of each column for a bar chart or pie chart. You can right click on the chart image to copy and paste it into your own content. Click the image to close the chart display.

Notes

Outturn vs. Plan: Public spending data in ukpublicspending.co.uk includes public spending outturns and also future spending in three categories: estimated outturn, planned, and guesstimated. Records of recent spending are more detailed than historical records of earlier times.

Current Budget Deficit: The Office of Budget Responsibility computes the deficit as (current expenditure less current receipts less depreciation). It will not equal the difference between spending and revenue on this site because this site computes total spending by including both current and capital expenditure and ignoring depreciation.

Public Spending Updates: The current numbers are based on HM Treasury’s PESA for 2015. The next update will be made after the PESA 2016 is published in late spring or summer 2016.

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Tab-delimited Table

United Kingdom Central Government and Local Authority Spending Fiscal Year 2016 Amounts in £ billion Central General Local Total Pensions 153.3 0.0 0.0 153.3 Health Care 134.7 0.0 3.2 137.9 Education 43.8 0.0 45.6 89.4 Defence 45.0 0.0 0.1 45.1 Welfare 54.3 0.0 56.2 110.5 Protection 13.9 0.0 14.9 28.8 Transport 18.6 0.0 8.7 27.3 General Government 9.2 0.0 4.4 13.5 Other Spending 66.5 0.0 39.5 106.0 Interest 46.7 0.0 0.8 47.5 Balance 1.8 0.0 -1.5 -45.4 Total Spending 587.7 0.0 171.8 759.5 Public Net Debt 0.0 0.0 0.0 1,532.9 Current Budget Deficit 0.0 0.0 0.0 45.7 Legend: e - planned spending in 2015 PESA g - guesstimated by ukpublicspending.co.uk GDP: budgetresponsibility.org.uk/economic-and-fiscal-outlook/ OBR EFO supp. economy tables Spending: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-pesa HM Treasury PESA

Top Spending Requests:

Find NATIONAL DEBT today and history.

See DEFENCE SPENDING.

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Check SPENDING breakdown, details and history.

Get WELFARE stats, HEALTH CARE stats, and EDUCATION stats.

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.

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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.

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Data Sources for 2016:

GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables
Spending: HM Treasury PESA

> spending data sources for other years

UK Deficit Page Added

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