Spain vs United Kingdom: Government spending per capita
Spain
26,400 current international-$
in 2024
United Kingdom
29,093 current international-$
in 2024
Spain rank
20th
United Kingdom rank
18th
Government spending per capita over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 29,093 current international-$ against 26,400 current international-$ in Spain, a difference of 2,693 current international-$.
That makes United Kingdom's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
Across all 18 years both countries report, United Kingdom has been ahead every year.
Spain ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 18th of 43 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13,788 current international-$ | 15,815 current international-$ | 2,027 current international-$ | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 15,843 current international-$ | 18,221 current international-$ | 2,378 current international-$ | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 23,533 current international-$ | 26,924 current international-$ | 3,391 current international-$ | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending per capita, Spain or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 29,093 current international-$ against 26,400 current international-$ in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in government spending per capita between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 2,693 current international-$, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for government spending per capita?
- Spain ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 18th of 43 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending per capita. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The total amount of money the general government spends per capita. This data is adjusted for differences in living costs between countries but not for inflation.