Denmark vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Social spending as share of GDP
Social spending as share of GDP over time
- Denmark
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 1.6% against 1.1% in Denmark, a difference of 0.5%.
That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.5 times Denmark's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 39 shared years of data; in 1983 it was Denmark ahead.
Denmark ranks 6th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 3rd of 42 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 3 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.1% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.2% | 1.0% | Denmark |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.2% | 0.7% | Denmark |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.2% | 1.2% | Denmark |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.8% | 0.5% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher social spending as share of gdp, Denmark or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 1.6% against 1.1% in Denmark as of 2022.
- What is the difference in social spending as share of gdp between Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.5%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 39 years are reported by both, from 1983 to 2021.
- How do Denmark and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for social spending as share of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 6th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 3rd of 42 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in other social policy programs.