What is the Total UK Public Spending?

Public Spending: Central and Local

Governments in the UK will spend £1,063.3 billion in 2024.

In fiscal 2024 HM Treasury estimates that central government spending will be £862.5. We estimate that local authority spending for 2024 will be £200.9.

Total spending at all levels of government in the United Kingdom is estimated to be £1,063.3 billion in 2024.

UK Public Spending: the Big Picture

The three big programs each cost over £100 billion a year.

Where does all the money go? It is really quite simple. Governments at both levels, central and local, spend about £191.1 billion a year on pensions, including the state pension and civil service pensions. The government spends about £215.0 billion a year on health care, principally the NHS. Governments spend about £107.5 billion a year on education at all levels, at both the central government at the local authority level. The central government spends £57.7 billion a year on defence, including the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign Office and aid programs. Governments spend £142.3 billion on “Social Security” or welfare programs. All other spending amounts to about £250 billion, including interest on the national debt. It all adds up to £1,063.3 billion for 2024.

Pie Chart of Total UK Public Spending

Although the four big government programs — pensions, health care, education, and welfare — each cost about £100 billion a year they are distributed unequally between the levels of government.

Chart 2.04: Total Spending Details

Total government spending in the United Kingdom, including central government and local authorities, is expected to total £1,063.3 billion in 2024. The total features four major functions. Of the total spending, health care takes a 20 percent share, pensions takes a 17 percent share, and education a 10 percent share. All other functions, including defense and interest on the debt, take up 53 percent of spending.

Pie Chart of Central Government Spending

Chart 2.05: Central Spending Details

Central government spending is budgeted at £862.5 billion for FY 2024, and includes three major functions. Health care, the National Health Service, takes a 24 percent of central spending, Pensions take 21 percent of central spending, Defence takes 7 percent of central spending. All other spending, including defence and interest on the national debt, takes 48 percent of central government spending.

Pie Chart of Local Authority Spending

Chart 2.06: Local Spending Details

Local authority spending, as estimated by ukpublicspending.co.uk, will total about £200.9 billion in FY 2024, and features two major functions. Education takes a 26 percent share, and protection, police and fire, takes a 9 percent share of local authority spending. All other spending takes a 65 percent share of local authority spending, with each function taking less than a 7 percent share.