Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing was 262,723 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
262,723
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
4th
of 35 countries
All-time high
297,488
in 2015
All-time low
79,803
in 1990
Years of data
29
1990–2018

Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom, 1990–2018

100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k300.0k1990200420181990: 79.8k1991: 93.4k1992: 98.2k1993: 100.4k1994: 105.6k1995: 103.3k1996: 111.8k1997: 140.3k1998: 145.6k1999: 158.6k2000: 191.1k2001: 189.1k2002: 184.5k2003: 175.3k2004: 187.3k2005: 197.5k2006: 209.1k2007: 220.5k2008: 201.4k2009: 192.7k2010: 209.3k2011: 214.3k2012: 242.3k2013: 236.1k2014: 259.6k2015: 297.5k2016: 259.3k2017: 259.7k2018: 262.7k

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 262,723 for expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 30.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom peaked at 297,488 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 79,803, in 1990.

That places United Kingdom 4th out of 35 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 113,707 79,803 158,627 10
2000s 194,853 175,301 220,511 10
2010s 248,974 209,258 297,488 9

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 1 Germany 484,354 compare
  2. 2 France 413,006 compare
  3. 3 Italy 331,851 compare
  4. 5 Spain 210,875 compare
  5. 6 Netherlands 116,886 compare
  6. 7 Poland 98,920 compare

See the full ranking of 45 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom?
Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom was 262,723 in 2018, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 297,488 in 2015.
What is the lowest expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 79,803 in 1990.
How does United Kingdom rank for expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing?
United Kingdom ranks 4th out of 35 countries with data for 2018.
Is expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 30.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/expenditure-on-pensions-by-type-of-pension-and-means-testing/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Expenditure on pensions by type of pension and means-testing
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
45 places, 1,186 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed