What are the biggest public spending programs in the UK?

In 2024, the three biggest government programs are health care (i.e, the NHS), state pensions, and welfare.

UK Public Spending Details for 2014

Spending details break down public spending by function and level of government. You can also drill down to view more spending detail by clicking the [+] control on each function line.

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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. 16921700171017201730174017501760177017801790180018101820183018401850186018701880189019001910192019301940195019601970198019902000200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222025 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. full screen
GDP: £1,803.1 billion	United Kingdom Central Government and Local Authority Spending -5yr -1yr     Fiscal Year 2014     +1yr +5yr Amounts in £ billion	Pop: 64.6 million

Change View:	default COFOG	Central (2)	Gen. Gov.(2)	Local (2)	Total	charts
[–] Pensions:  Start chart		142.8	0.0	0.0	142.8
—[+] Sickness and disability		37.8	0.0	0.0	37.8
—[+] Old age		103.9	0.0	0.0	103.9
—[+] Survivors		1.1	0.0	0.0	1.1
—[+] Pensions n.e.c.		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
[+] Health Care		126.8	0.0	2.6	129.4
[–] Education:  Start chart		37.0	0.0	47.7	84.7
—[+] Pre-primary and primary education		0.8	0.0	0.0	0.8
—[+] Secondary education		23.9	0.0	0.0	23.9
—[+] Post-secondary non-tertiary education		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Tertiary education		7.5	0.0	0.0	7.5
—[+] Education not definable by level		0.4	0.0	47.7	48.1
—[+] Subsidiary services to education		0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5
—[+] R&D Education		1.6	0.0	0.0	1.6
—[+] Education n.e.c.		2.2	0.0	0.0	2.2
[–] 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:  Start chart		44.0	0.0	0.1	44.0
—[+] Military defence		33.1	0.0	0.1	33.1
—[+] Civil defence		0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1
—[+] Foreign military aid		1.4	0.0	0.0	1.4
—[+] Foreign economic aid		7.6	0.0	0.0	7.6
—[+] R&D Defence		1.7	0.0	0.0	1.7
—[+] Defence n.e.c.		0.2	0.0	0.0	0.2
[–] Welfare:  Start chart		59.4	0.0	54.5	113.9
—[+] Family and children		16.4	0.0	0.0	16.4
—[+] Unemployment		4.9	0.0	0.0	4.9
—[+] Housing		3.4	0.0	0.0	3.4
—[+] Social exclusion n.e.c.		31.5	0.0	0.0	31.5
—[+] R&D Social protection		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Social protection n.e.c.		3.1	0.0	54.5	57.6
[–] Protection:  Start chart		15.3	0.0	14.4	29.7
—[+] Police services		3.5	0.0	0.0	3.5
—[+] Fire-protection services		0.4	0.0	0.0	0.4
—[+] Law courts		5.5	0.0	0.0	5.5
—[+] Prisons		4.1	0.0	0.0	4.1
—[+] R&D Public order and safety		1.0	0.0	0.0	1.0
—[+] Public order and safety n.e.c.		0.7	0.0	14.4	15.1
[–] Transport:  Start chart		11.4	0.0	9.4	20.8
—[+] Transport		11.4	0.0	9.4	20.8
[+] General Government		9.0	0.0	4.3	13.3
[–] Other Spending:  Start chart		72.4	0.0	36.8	109.2
—[+] Basic research		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] General economic, commercial and labour		7.6	0.0	1.2	8.8
—[+] Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunt		5.2	0.0	0.2	5.4
—[+] Fuel and energy		0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5
—[+] Mining, manufacturing and construction		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Communication		0.6	0.0	0.0	0.6
—[+] Other industries		0.2	0.0	0.0	0.2
—[+] R&D Economic affairs		4.2	0.0	0.0	4.2
—[+] Economic affairs n.e.c.		0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5
—[+] Waste management		2.3	0.0	6.3	8.5
—[+] Waste water management		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Pollution abatement		0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1
—[+] Protection of biodiversity and landscap		0.4	0.0	0.0	0.4
—[+] R&D Environmental protection		0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5
—[+] Environmental protection n.e.c.		1.6	0.0	0.0	1.6
—[+] Housing development		1.1	0.0	0.0	1.1
—[+] Community development		0.6	0.0	0.0	0.6
—[+] Water supply		0.6	0.0	0.0	0.6
—[+] Street lighting		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] R&D Housing and community amenities		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Housing and community amenities n.e.c.		0.2	0.0	4.6	4.8
—[+] Recreational and sporting services		0.7	0.0	4.7	5.4
—[+] Cultural services		2.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
—[+] Broadcasting and publishing services		3.9	0.0	0.0	3.9
—[+] Religious and other community services		0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1
—[+] R&D Recreation, culture and religion		0.1	0.0	0.0	0.1
—[+] Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c.		0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
—[+] Other Spending		39.4	0.0	19.8	59.2
[+] Interest		48.8	0.0	0.5	49.3
[+] Balance		5.9	0.0	0.0	5.9
[+] Total Spending		572.8	0.0	170.2	743.0
[+] Public Net Debt		0.0	0.0	0.0	1,461.1
[+] Current Budget Deficit		0.0	0.0	0.0	76.4
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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. outturn GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables Spending: HM Treasury PESA Debt: OBR Public Finances Databank				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 2023 are outturn. More recent spending, including future years out to 2026, are estimated outturn, planned, or guesstimated.

Public sector expenditure between 1992 through 2026 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 2022. The next update will be made after the PESA 2023 is published in late spring or summer 2023.

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United Kingdom Central Government and Local Authority Spending Fiscal Year 2014 Amounts in £ billion Central General Local Total Pensions 142.8 0.0 0.0 142.8 -Sickness and disability 37.8 0.0 0.0 37.8 -Old age 103.9 0.0 0.0 103.9 -Survivors 1.1 0.0 0.0 1.1 -Pensions n.e.c. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Health Care 126.8 0.0 2.6 129.4 Education 37.0 0.0 47.7 84.7 -Pre-primary and primary education 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.8 -Secondary education 23.9 0.0 0.0 23.9 -Post-secondary non-tertiary education 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Tertiary education 7.5 0.0 0.0 7.5 -Education not definable by level 0.4 0.0 47.7 48.1 -Subsidiary services to education 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 -R&D Education 1.6 0.0 0.0 1.6 -Education n.e.c. 2.2 0.0 0.0 2.2 Defence 44.0 0.0 0.1 44.0 -Military defence 33.1 0.0 0.1 33.1 -Civil defence 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 -Foreign military aid 1.4 0.0 0.0 1.4 -Foreign economic aid 7.6 0.0 0.0 7.6 -R&D Defence 1.7 0.0 0.0 1.7 -Defence n.e.c. 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 Welfare 59.4 0.0 54.5 113.9 -Family and children 16.4 0.0 0.0 16.4 -Unemployment 4.9 0.0 0.0 4.9 -Housing 3.4 0.0 0.0 3.4 -Social exclusion n.e.c. 31.5 0.0 0.0 31.5 -R&D Social protection 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Social protection n.e.c. 3.1 0.0 54.5 57.6 Protection 15.3 0.0 14.4 29.7 -Police services 3.5 0.0 0.0 3.5 -Fire-protection services 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 -Law courts 5.5 0.0 0.0 5.5 -Prisons 4.1 0.0 0.0 4.1 -R&D Public order and safety 1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 -Public order and safety n.e.c. 0.7 0.0 14.4 15.1 Transport 11.4 0.0 9.4 20.8 -Transport 11.4 0.0 9.4 20.8 General Government 9.0 0.0 4.3 13.3 Other Spending 72.4 0.0 36.8 109.2 -Basic research 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -General economic, commercial and labour 7.6 0.0 1.2 8.8 -Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunt 5.2 0.0 0.2 5.4 -Fuel and energy 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 -Mining, manufacturing and construction 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Communication 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6 -Other industries 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.2 -R&D Economic affairs 4.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 -Economic affairs n.e.c. 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 -Waste management 2.3 0.0 6.3 8.5 -Waste water management 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Pollution abatement 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 -Protection of biodiversity and landscap 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.4 -R&D Environmental protection 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.5 -Environmental protection n.e.c. 1.6 0.0 0.0 1.6 -Housing development 1.1 0.0 0.0 1.1 -Community development 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6 -Water supply 0.6 0.0 0.0 0.6 -Street lighting 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -R&D Housing and community amenities 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Housing and community amenities n.e.c. 0.2 0.0 4.6 4.8 -Recreational and sporting services 0.7 0.0 4.7 5.4 -Cultural services 2.0 0.0 0.0 2.0 -Broadcasting and publishing services 3.9 0.0 0.0 3.9 -Religious and other community services 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 -R&D Recreation, culture and religion 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 -Recreation, culture and religion n.e.c. 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 -Other Spending 39.4 0.0 19.8 59.2 Interest 48.8 0.0 0.5 49.3 Balance 5.9 0.0 0.0 5.9 Total Spending 572.8 0.0 170.2 743.0 Public Net Debt 0.0 0.0 0.0 1,461.1 Current Budget Deficit 0.0 0.0 0.0 76.4 Legend: a - outturn -- actual reported spending GDP: obr.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2018/ OBR EFO supp. economy tables Spending: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-treasury/series/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-pesa HM Treasury PESA Debt: obr.uk/data/ OBR Public Finances Databank