Historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Historical gov spending gdp was 44.04 in 2024. β—† Volatile

Latest (2024)
44.04
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
31st
of 151 countries
All-time high
68.42
in 1916
All-time low
6.21
in 1880
Years of data
195
1830–2024

Historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom, 1830–2024

0204060183019272024

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom is 44.04, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom peaked at 68.42 in 1916 and was at its lowest, 6.21, in 1880.

That places United Kingdom 31st out of 151 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1830s 10.88 9.65 12.18 10
1840s 10.53 9.36 11.99 10
1850s 10.84 9.42 14.42 10
1860s 8.5 7.42 10.46 10
1870s 6.9 6.31 7.84 10
1880s 6.87 6.21 7.51 10
1890s 7.23 6.8 8.21 10
1900s 8.56 7.18 10.77 10
1910s 31.88 8.05 68.42 10
1920s 19.18 17.8 22.43 10
1930s 19.55 18.53 21.34 10
1940s 50.81 28.38 66.9 10
1950s 32.06 28.62 34.47 10
1960s 35.85 31.48 40.34 10
1970s 45.31 41.2 49.21 10
1980s 46.62 39.68 51.2 10
1990s 42.34 38.88 45.04 10
2000s 43.46 36.76 51.46 10
2010s 41.75 38.76 50.56 10
2020s 45.74 44.04 49.99 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 28 Canada 44.72 compare
  2. 29 Latvia, Republic of 44.47 compare
  3. 30 Netherlands, The 44.41 compare
  4. 32 Israel 43.79 compare
  5. 33 Estonia, Republic of 43.62 compare
  6. 34 Bosnia and Herzegovina 43.32 compare

See the full ranking of 151 places β†’

More economy & growth data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom?
Historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom was 44.04 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest historical gov spending gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 68.42 in 1916.
What is the lowest historical gov spending gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 6.21 in 1880.
How does United Kingdom rank for historical gov spending gdp?
United Kingdom ranks 31st out of 151 countries with data for 2024.
Is historical gov spending gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Historical gov spending gdp. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV Β· JSON β€” 195 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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Historical gov spending gdp in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/historical-gov-spending-gdp/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Historical gov spending gdp
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
151 places, 9,265 data points, 1800–2024
Last refreshed