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Government spending by function in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Government spending by function was 32.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
32.9%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
23rd
of 37 countries
All-time high
37.7%
in 2015
All-time low
32.3%
in 2020
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function in United Kingdom, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 34.7 % of government expenditure2008: 33.3 % of government expenditure2009: 35.2 % of government expenditure2010: 35.3 % of government expenditure2011: 36.2 % of government expenditure2012: 37.1 % of government expenditure2013: 37.6 % of government expenditure2014: 37.3 % of government expenditure2015: 37.7 % of government expenditure2016: 37.5 % of government expenditure2017: 36.4 % of government expenditure2018: 36.4 % of government expenditure2019: 36.1 % of government expenditure2020: 32.3 % of government expenditure2021: 33.3 % of government expenditure2022: 32.7 % of government expenditure2023: 32.9 % of government expenditure

Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government spending by function in United Kingdom is 32.9%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in United Kingdom peaked at 37.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 32.3%, in 2020.

United Kingdom ranks 23rd of 37 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.4% 33.3% 35.2% 3
2010s 36.8% 35.3% 37.7% 10
2020s 32.8% 32.3% 33.3% 4

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 20 Poland 35.9% compare
  2. 21 Bulgaria 35.5% compare
  3. 24 Romania 31.4% compare
  4. 25 Estonia 31.3% compare
  5. 26 Latvia 31.0% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in United Kingdom?
Government spending by function in United Kingdom was 32.9% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 37.7% in 2015.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 32.3% in 2020.
How does United Kingdom rank for government spending by function?
United Kingdom ranks 23rd out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.