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Saturday January 31, 2026 
compiled by Christopher Chantrill

Time Series Chart of UK Public Spending

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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.

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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

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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.

Total Spending
Fiscal Years 1700 to 2025
YearInflationGDP-UK
£ billion nominal
Population-UK
million
Total Spending -fed
£ billion nominal
1700-0.110.069.1000.00a
170113.32MW gdp9.1290.00a
1702-0.16MW gdp9.1580.01a
1703-0.97MW gdp9.1880.01a
17042MW gdp9.2170.01a
1705-1.43MW gdp9.2470.01a
1706-2.13MW gdp9.2760.01a
1707-2.5MW gdp9.3060.01a
17083.82MW gdp9.3360.01a
17097.55MW gdp9.3660.01a
17102.91MW gdp9.3960.01a
1711-7.71MW gdp9.4260.02a
1712-2.51MW gdp9.4560.01a
17132.95MW gdp9.4870.01a
17140.81MW gdp9.5170.01a
1715-3.29MW gdp9.5470.01a
17160.11MW gdp9.5780.01a
17171.86MW gdp9.6090.01a
1718-1MW gdp9.6400.01a
1719-1.57MW gdp9.6700.01a
17203.97MW gdp9.7010.01a
1721-4.43MW gdp9.7330.01a
1722-2.21MW gdp9.7640.01a
17232.41MW gdp9.7950.01a
1724-0.15MW gdp9.8260.01a
17252.04MW gdp9.8580.01a
17261.98MW gdp9.8890.01a
1727-1.64MW gdp9.9210.01a
17286.14MW gdp9.9530.01a
1729-1.81MW gdp9.9850.01a
1730-6.83MW gdp10.0170.01a
1731-0.8MW gdp10.0490.01a
1732-2.99MW gdp10.0810.00a
17330.14MW gdp10.1140.00a
17340.36MW gdp10.1460.01a
17352.37MW gdp10.1780.01a
1736-1.69MW gdp10.2110.01a
1737-1.17MW gdp10.2440.01a
1738-0.7MW gdp10.2770.00a
17390.67MW gdp10.3100.01a
17407.43MW gdp10.3430.01a
17411.43MW gdp10.3930.01a
1742-2.3MW gdp10.4440.01a
1743-1.82MW gdp10.4940.01a
1744-0.77MW gdp10.5450.01a
1745-2.59MW gdp10.5970.01a
17463.6MW gdp10.6480.01a
1747-1.4MW gdp10.7000.01a
17481.07MW gdp10.7520.01a
17491.61MW gdp10.8050.01a
1750-0.44MW gdp10.8570.01a
17510.17MW gdp10.9100.01a
17523.24MW gdp10.9630.01a
1753-1.83MW gdp11.0160.01a
1754-1.01MW gdp11.0700.00a
1755-2.04MW gdp11.1240.01a
17564.63MW gdp11.1840.01a
17577.57MW gdp11.2450.01a
1758-0.55MW gdp11.3060.01a
1759-6.59MW gdp11.3680.02a
17600.6MW gdp11.4300.02a
1761-2.29MW gdp11.4920.02a
17621.95MW gdp11.5550.02a
17635.37MW gdp11.6170.02a
17640.84MW gdp11.6810.01a
17650.81MW gdp11.7440.01a
17661.05MW gdp11.8080.01a
17673.19MW gdp11.8720.01a
1768-3.16MW gdp11.9370.01a
1769-4.12MW gdp12.0020.01a
17700.48MW gdp12.0670.01a
17715.06MW gdp12.1330.01a
17723.27MW gdp12.1990.01a
1773-0.35MW gdp12.2650.01a
17741.52MW gdp12.3320.01a
17751.06MW gdp12.3990.01a
1776-1.88MW gdp12.4670.01a
17772.47MW gdp12.5340.02a
17780.06MW gdp12.6030.02a
1779-2.93MW gdp12.6710.02a
1780-0.6MW gdp12.7400.02a
178113.08MW gdp12.8090.03a
17820.45MW gdp12.9160.03a
1783-2.25MW gdp13.0230.02a
1784-3.8MW gdp13.1310.02a
17850.7MW gdp13.2400.03a
17865.31MW gdp13.3490.02a
1787-0.53MW gdp13.4600.02a
1788-3.15MW gdp13.5720.02a
1789-1.66MW gdp13.6840.02a
17902.82MW gdp13.7980.02a
17910.62MW gdp13.9120.02a
17925.82MW gdp14.1340.02a
1793-0.74MW gdp14.3600.02a
17940.82MW gdp14.5890.03a
179510.92MW gdp14.8220.04a
17963.08MW gdp15.0590.04a
17971.11MW gdp15.2990.06a
17984.45MW gdp15.5440.05a
17997.99MW gdp15.7920.05a
18009.36MW gdp16.0440.05a
18015.48MW gdp16.3000.05a
1802-14.52MW gdp16.5080.07a
18030.83MW gdp16.7180.05a
18046.46MW gdp16.9310.05a
18053.21MW gdp17.1470.06a
18061.48MW gdp17.3650.07a
18070.51MW gdp17.5860.07a
18082.37MW gdp17.8110.07a
18096.18MW gdp18.0370.08a
18103.74MW gdp18.2670.08a
1811-3.27MW gdp18.5000.08a
18125.69MW gdp18.7360.09a
18132.09MW gdp18.9750.09a
1814-2.11MW gdp19.2170.11a
1815-7.66MW gdp19.4620.11a
1816-5.83MW gdp19.7100.10a
18172.07MW gdp19.9620.07a
18183.94MW gdp20.2170.06a
1819-4.9MW gdp20.4740.06a
1820-6.72MW gdp20.7360.06a
1821-5.84MW gdp21.0000.06a
1822-6.72MW gdp21.2910.06a
18231.59MW gdp21.5860.06a
18241.99MW gdp21.8860.05a
18258.29MW gdp22.1890.06a
1826-7.04MW gdp22.4970.05a
1827-3.53MW gdp22.8090.06a
1828-0.31MW gdp23.1250.06a
1829-4.18MW gdp23.4450.05a
1830-0.8MW gdp23.7700.05a
1831-4.61MW gdp24.1000.05a
1832-0.75MW gdp24.3660.05a
1833-3.15MW gdp24.6360.05a
18342.75MW gdp24.9080.05a
1835-0.41MW gdp25.1830.05a
18365.79MW gdp25.4620.07a
1837-1.8MW gdp25.7430.05a
18380.41MW gdp26.0280.05a
18391.89MW gdp26.3150.05a
1840-4.16MW gdp26.6060.05a
1841-1.5MW gdp26.9000.05a
1842-4.29MW gdp26.9590.05a
1843-3.49MW gdp27.0190.06a
18440.9MW gdp27.0790.06a
18451.67MW gdp27.1380.05a
1846-1.07MW gdp27.1980.05a
18476.38MW gdp27.2580.06a
1848-8.44MW gdp27.3190.06a
1849-0.56MW gdp27.3790.06a
1850-6.71MW gdp27.4390.06a
1851-1.4MW gdp27.5000.05a
18520.56MW gdp27.6560.05a
18539.46MW gdp27.8130.06a
18545.4MW gdp27.9710.06a
18550.78MW gdp28.1290.07a
18560.34MW gdp28.2890.09a
1857-1.46MW gdp28.4490.08a
1858-4.74MW gdp28.6110.07a
18593.19MW gdp28.7730.06a
18600.25MW gdp28.9360.07a
18612.47MW gdp29.1000.07a
18620.79MW gdp29.3410.07a
18633.65MW gdp29.5840.07a
18644.11MW gdp29.8290.07a
1865-2.5MW gdp30.0750.07a
18662.15MW gdp30.3240.07a
1867-1.39MW gdp30.5750.07a
1868-2.82MW gdp30.8280.07a
1869-0.04MW gdp31.0830.08a
1870-0.81MW gdp31.3410.07a
18711.76MW gdp31.4850.07a
18725.13MW gdp31.8740.07a
18733.61MW gdp32.1780.07a
1874-4.39MW gdp32.5020.07a
1875-3.39MW gdp32.8390.07a
1876-1.89MW gdp33.2000.07a
1877-1.97MW gdp33.5760.08a
1878-2.16MW gdp33.9440.08a
1879-1.97MW gdp34.3040.08a
1880-0.08MW gdp34.6230.08a
1881-0.77MW gdp34.9350.08a
18821.26MW gdp35.2070.08a
1883-2.52MW gdp35.4500.09a
1884-1.84MW gdp35.7240.09a
1885-1.34MW gdp36.0160.09a
18860.26MW gdp36.3140.09a
1887-0.18MW gdp36.5990.09a
18880.43MW gdp36.8810.09a
18892.09MW gdp37.1790.09a
18901.46MW gdp37.4850.09a
1891-2.6MW gdp37.8020.09a
1892-0.1MW gdp38.1340.10a
18930.76MW gdp38.4900.10a
18940.58MW gdp38.8590.10a
1895-1.09MW gdp39.2210.10a
1896-0.94MW gdp39.5990.11a
18971.24MW gdp39.9870.11a
18980.82MW gdp40.3810.11a
18992.36MW gdp40.7740.12a
19004.09MW gdp41.1550.14a
1901-1.38MW gdp41.5380.19a
1902-1.04MW gdp41.8930.21a
1903-0.25MW gdp42.2470.19a
1904-1.1MW gdp42.6110.16a
19050.48MW gdp42.9810.15a
19061.4MW gdp43.3610.15a
19071.58MW gdp43.7380.14a
1908-0.74MW gdp44.1240.13a
1909-0.35MW gdp44.5200.14a
19101.44MW gdp44.9160.15a
19110.58MW gdp42.1900.16a
19122.61MW gdp42.3740.16a
1913-0.17MW gdp42.5820.17a
1914-0.8MW gdp42.9570.18a
191514.36MW gdp41.3620.55a
191614.76MW gdp40.5361.55a
191724.35MW gdp39.7812.19a
191816.79MW gdp39.5822.69a
191915.24MW gdp42.9442.57a
192016.64MW gdp43.6461.66a
1921-8.17MW gdp43.9041.18a
1922-14.46MW gdp44.3321.06a
1923-7.53MW gdp44.5630.80a
1924-2.09MW gdp44.8860.73a
1925-0.26MW gdp45.0400.73a
1926-0.42MW gdp45.2180.76a
1927-1.94MW gdp45.4320.76a
1928-0.89MW gdp45.6220.75a
1929-0.84MW gdp45.7310.74a
1930-0.84MW gdp45.8890.75a
1931-1.83MW gdp46.0740.76a
1932-2.24MW gdp46.3350.77a
1933-1.39MW gdp46.5200.78a
1934-0.87MW gdp46.6660.72a
19350.79MW gdp46.8690.73a
19360.89MW gdp47.0810.78a
19373.46MW gdp47.2890.84a
19382.36MW gdp47.4940.85a
19392.88MW gdp47.5480.94a
194011.13MW gdp46.0291.34a
194111.47MW gdp44.8703.89a
19427.49MW gdp44.3234.81a
19434.44MW gdp48.2625.66a
19445.01MW gdp48.4605.84a
19451.63MW gdp48.6696.11a
19462.81MW gdp48.9885.52a
19479.08MW gdp49.5394.11a
19486.3MW gdp50.0333.26a
19493.18MW gdp50.3313.21a
19501.34MW gdp50.3823.43a
19518.55MW gdp50.2870.00
19527.1MW gdp50.4290.00
19531.83MW gdp50.5930.00
19541.13MW gdp50.7650.00
19554.92MW gdp50.9460.00
19567.04MW gdp51.1840.00
19574.08MW gdp51.4300.00
19583.71MW gdp51.6530.00
19590.76MW gdp51.9560.00
19601.11MW gdp52.3730.00
19613.88MW gdp52.8070.00
19623.65MW gdp53.2920.00
19631.55MW gdp53.6250.00
19643.79MW gdp53.9910.00
19656.06MW gdp54.3500.00
19665.42MW gdp54.6430.00
19673.05MW gdp54.9590.00
19684.44MW gdp55.2140.00
19696.76MW gdp55.4610.00
19709.9MW gdp55.6320.00
19718.57MW gdp55.9280.00
19727.9MW gdp56.0970.00
19739.37MW gdp56.2230.00
197415.8MW gdp56.2360.00
197525.7MW gdp56.2260.00
197616MW gdp56.2160.00
197714.17MW gdp56.1900.00
197812.32MW gdp56.1780.00
197914.97MW gdp56.2400.00
198019.7MW gdp56.3300.00
198112.31MW gdp56.3580.00
19828.16MW gdp56.2910.00
19835.78MW gdp56.3160.00
19845.33MW gdp56.4090.00
19855.62MW gdp56.5540.00
19864.62MW gdp56.6840.00
19875.69MW gdp56.8040.00
19886.25MW gdp56.9160.00
19898.03MW gdp57.0770.00
19908.12MW gdp57.2380.00
19916.56MW gdp57.4390.00
19923.16MW gdp57.5850.00
19932.79MW gdp57.714191.59a
19941.4MW gdp57.862207.96a
19952.5MW gdp58.025216.74a
19964.22MW gdp58.164227.68a
1997-0.07MW gdp58.314235.89a
19981.07MW gdp58.475240.40a
19990.97MW gdp58.684250.93a
20001.89MW gdp58.886254.43a
20011.15MW gdp59.113269.46a
20022.15MW gdp59.366288.69a
20032.45MW gdp59.637309.64a
20042.59MW gdp59.950335.49a
20052.78MW gdp60.413359.57a
20062.88MW gdp60.827382.71a
20072.76MW gdp61.319403.22a
20083.07MW gdp61.824427.07a
2009-11.631582.762.261465.88a
20101.321558.162.760498.86a
20111.941627.263.285535.44a
20121.781672.363.705546.66a
20131.881727.564.106568.83a
20141.961800.864.597572.81a
20151.251879.565.110588.69a
20160.741931.565.648612.75a
20172.312015.866.040633.07a
20181.612099.866.436654.05a
20192.132170.266.797674.05a
20202.392240.867.844697.93a
20214.632085.668.138893.18a
2022-0.52357.868.414840.32a
20237.242583.268.671928.21a
20246.15274968.921958.46a
20253.812881.368.3391005.86a

Legend:
a - actual outturn
e - estimate in HM Treasury hist budget

Data Sources for 1700:
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 2025:
GDP: OBR EFO supp. economy tables
Spending: HM Treasury PESA
Debt: OBR Public Finances Databank

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Top Spending Requests:

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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 1700_2025:

Sources for 1700:

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

Sources for 2025:

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

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Download spending data series.

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