General government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: General government final consumption expenditure was 21.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
General government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1960–2025
Source: Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for general government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 21.2%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, general government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 22.4% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 15.9%, in 1998.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 48th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
General government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 17.6% | — |
| 1961 | 17.6% | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 17.9% | +1.8% |
| 1963 | 17.2% | -3.9% |
| 1964 | 16.8% | -2.3% |
| 1965 | 17.6% | +4.7% |
| 1966 | 18.0% | +2.0% |
| 1967 | 18.8% | +4.5% |
| 1968 | 18.2% | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 17.7% | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 17.7% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 18.1% | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 18.4% | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 18.2% | -1.0% |
| 1974 | 20.1% | +10.4% |
| 1975 | 22.4% | +11.3% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | -1.2% |
| 1977 | 20.7% | -6.3% |
| 1978 | 20.2% | -2.5% |
| 1979 | 19.8% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 21.3% | +7.2% |
| 1981 | 21.7% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 21.6% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 21.4% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 21.1% | -1.4% |
| 1985 | 20.3% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 20.2% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 19.5% | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 18.8% | -4.0% |
| 1989 | 18.3% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 18.5% | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 19.4% | +4.6% |
| 1992 | 19.9% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 19.2% | -3.5% |
| 1994 | 18.8% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 17.0% | -9.8% |
| 1996 | 16.5% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 15.9% | -3.6% |
| 1998 | 15.9% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 16.3% | +2.7% |
| 2000 | 16.5% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 17.2% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 18.1% | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 18.7% | +3.6% |
| 2004 | 19.3% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 19.5% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 19.7% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 19.5% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 20.2% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 21.7% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 21.4% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 20.8% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 20.6% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 20.0% | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 19.6% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 19.3% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 19.0% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 18.3% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 18.9% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 22.3% | +18.1% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | -6.1% |
| 2023 | 20.6% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 20.9% | +1.4% |
| 2025 | 21.2% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 17.7% | 16.8% | 18.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 19.8% | 17.7% | 22.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.4% | 18.3% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.8% | 15.9% | 19.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.0% | 16.5% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 18.3% | 21.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.3% | 20.6% | 22.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0217 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,251 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 76.63 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 691.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0191 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,103 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 22.77 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is general government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- General government final consumption expenditure in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 21.2% in 2025, according to Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs).
- What is the highest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4% in 1975.
- What is the lowest general government final consumption expenditure recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.9% in 1998.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for general government final consumption expenditure?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 48th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is general government final consumption expenditure rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Country official statistics, National Statistical Offices (NSOs), published as part of General government final consumption expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Final consumption expenditure is expenditure on goods and services by resident institutional units for the direct satisfaction of human needs or wants, whether individual or collective. General government FCE includes all government current expenditures for purchases of goods and services (including compensation of employees), and most expenditures on national defense and security, but excludes government military expenditures that are part of government capital formation. 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.