Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure was 23.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
23.5%
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
115th
of 191 countries
All-time high
26.9%
in 2006
All-time low
20.8%
in 2020
Years of data
23
2000–2022

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in United Kingdom, 2000–2022

01020302000201120222000: 25.62001: 26.22002: 26.22003: 26.22004: 26.62005: 26.82006: 26.92007: 26.32008: 24.82009: 24.12010: 23.82011: 23.52012: 232013: 22.52014: 22.52015: 22.52016: 22.72017: 22.72018: 22.92019: 23.52020: 20.82021: 22.72022: 23.5

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in United Kingdom is 23.5%, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in United Kingdom peaked at 26.9% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 20.8%, in 2020.

That places United Kingdom 115th out of 191 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in United Kingdom, 2000 to 2022.
Year Value Change
2000 25.6%
2001 26.2% +2.4%
2002 26.2% +0.0%
2003 26.2% -0.2%
2004 26.6% +1.8%
2005 26.8% +0.7%
2006 26.9% +0.4%
2007 26.3% -2.3%
2008 24.8% -5.8%
2009 24.1% -2.7%
2010 23.8% -1.5%
2011 23.5% -1.1%
2012 23.0% -2.2%
2013 22.5% -2.0%
2014 22.5% -0.2%
2015 22.5% +0.1%
2016 22.7% +1.0%
2017 22.7% -0.1%
2018 22.9% +0.9%
2019 23.5% +2.8%
2020 20.8% -11.4%
2021 22.7% +9.0%
2022 23.5% +3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 26.0% 24.1% 26.9% 10
2010s 23.0% 22.5% 23.8% 10
2020s 22.4% 20.8% 23.5% 3

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 112 Spain 23.8% compare
  2. 113 Malaysia 23.8% compare
  3. 114 Tanzania 23.6% compare
  4. 116 Portugal 23.5% compare
  5. 117 Senegal 23.5% compare
  6. 118 Croatia 23.4% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More reference data data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in United Kingdom?
Wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure in United Kingdom was 23.5% in 2022, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 26.9% in 2006.
What is the lowest wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 20.8% in 2020.
How does United Kingdom rank for wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure?
United Kingdom ranks 115th out of 191 countries with data for 2022.
Is wage bill as a percentage of public expenditure rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure in United Kingdom. Statizoid. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/wage-bill-as-a-percentage-of-public-expenditure/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Wage bill as a percentage of Public Expenditure
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,119 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed