Expense in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Expense was 41.2% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Expense in United Kingdom, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, expense in United Kingdom stood at 41.2%.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expense in United Kingdom peaked at 47.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 28.8%, in 1973.
That places United Kingdom 15th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Expense in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 29.5% | — |
| 1973 | 28.8% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 33.3% | +15.3% |
| 1975 | 36.5% | +9.7% |
| 1976 | 36.4% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 34.5% | -5.3% |
| 1978 | 34.5% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 34.0% | -1.5% |
| 1980 | 35.6% | +4.6% |
| 1981 | 37.5% | +5.4% |
| 1982 | 37.7% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 36.9% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 36.8% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 35.9% | -2.4% |
| 1986 | 35.0% | -2.7% |
| 1987 | 33.1% | -5.3% |
| 1988 | 31.0% | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 29.7% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 32.6% | +9.9% |
| 1991 | 34.8% | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 37.6% | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 37.4% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 37.1% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 37.0% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 35.7% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 34.3% | -4.0% |
| 1998 | 33.9% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 33.6% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 34.0% | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 34.3% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 35.7% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 36.8% | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 37.3% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 37.7% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 38.0% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 38.2% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 41.0% | +7.2% |
| 2009 | 43.5% | +6.1% |
| 2010 | 43.9% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 42.5% | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 43.1% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 40.0% | -7.2% |
| 2014 | 39.1% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 38.2% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 37.0% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 36.8% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 37.2% | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 36.4% | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 47.5% | +30.6% |
| 2021 | 42.9% | -9.6% |
| 2022 | 40.7% | -5.3% |
| 2023 | 41.2% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.4% | 28.8% | 36.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 34.9% | 29.7% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.4% | 32.6% | 37.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.6% | 34.0% | 43.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.4% | 36.4% | 43.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.1% | 40.7% | 47.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 12 Slovenia 42.9% compare
- 13 Hungary 42.4% compare
- 14 Luxembourg 42.2% compare
- 16 San Marino 40.5% compare
- 17 Lesotho 40.2% compare
- 18 Netherlands 40.0% compare
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.3685 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1364 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7,858 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 0.3684 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 0.0941 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 5,422 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 9.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.731 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expense in United Kingdom?
- Expense in United Kingdom was 41.2% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest expense recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 47.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest expense recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.8% in 1973.
- How does United Kingdom rank for expense?
- United Kingdom ranks 15th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
- Is expense rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.