Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % GDP in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % GDP was 7.07 Percentage of GDP in 2022. ▲ Rising
Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % GDP in United Kingdom, 1980–2022
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp in United Kingdom is 7.07 Percentage of GDP, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 4.1% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp in United Kingdom peaked at 8.6 Percentage of GDP in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.7 Percentage of GDP, in 1989.
United Kingdom ranks 20th of 33 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % GDP in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Percentage of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 6.53 Percentage of GDP | — |
| 1981 | 6.97 Percentage of GDP | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 7.1 Percentage of GDP | +1.9% |
| 1983 | 7 Percentage of GDP | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 6.92 Percentage of GDP | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 6.71 Percentage of GDP | -3.1% |
| 1986 | 6.67 Percentage of GDP | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 6.34 Percentage of GDP | -4.9% |
| 1988 | 5.88 Percentage of GDP | -7.3% |
| 1989 | 5.7 Percentage of GDP | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 6.82 Percentage of GDP | +19.7% |
| 1991 | 7.34 Percentage of GDP | +7.7% |
| 1992 | 7.79 Percentage of GDP | +6.1% |
| 1993 | 7.83 Percentage of GDP | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 7.53 Percentage of GDP | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 6.97 Percentage of GDP | -7.5% |
| 1996 | 6.97 Percentage of GDP | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 7.07 Percentage of GDP | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 6.88 Percentage of GDP | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 6.99 Percentage of GDP | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 7.3 Percentage of GDP | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 7.23 Percentage of GDP | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 6.98 Percentage of GDP | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 6.99 Percentage of GDP | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 7.03 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 7.12 Percentage of GDP | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 6.91 Percentage of GDP | -2.8% |
| 2007 | 7.17 Percentage of GDP | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 7.61 Percentage of GDP | +6.1% |
| 2009 | 8.26 Percentage of GDP | +8.6% |
| 2010 | 8.31 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 8.37 Percentage of GDP | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 8.6 Percentage of GDP | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 8.51 Percentage of GDP | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 8.43 Percentage of GDP | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 8.35 Percentage of GDP | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 7.81 Percentage of GDP | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 7.91 Percentage of GDP | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 7.85 Percentage of GDP | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 7.51 Percentage of GDP | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 7.84 Percentage of GDP | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 7.37 Percentage of GDP | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 7.07 Percentage of GDP | -4.1% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 7.07 Percentage of GDP is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.99 Percentage of GDP, 88% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 7.07 Percentage of GDP is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.85 Percentage of GDP, 80% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.58 Percentage of GDP | 5.7 Percentage of GDP | 7.1 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.22 Percentage of GDP | 6.82 Percentage of GDP | 7.83 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.26 Percentage of GDP | 6.91 Percentage of GDP | 8.26 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.17 Percentage of GDP | 7.51 Percentage of GDP | 8.6 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.43 Percentage of GDP | 7.07 Percentage of GDP | 7.84 Percentage of GDP | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp in United Kingdom?
- Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp in United Kingdom was 7.07 Percentage of GDP in 2022, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6 Percentage of GDP in 2012.
- What is the lowest public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7 Percentage of GDP in 1989.
- How does United Kingdom rank for public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp?
- United Kingdom ranks 20th out of 33 countries with data for 2022.
- Is public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Public expenditure on old-age and survivors cash benefits in % GDP — Social expenditure. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The OECD Social Expenditure Database (SOCX) has been developed in order to serve a growing need for indicators of social policy. It includes reliable and internationally comparable statistics on public and mandatory and voluntary private social expenditure at programme level. SOCX provides a unique tool for monitoring trends in aggregate social expenditure and analysing changes in its composition. It covers 38 OECD countries and some accession countries for the period 1980-2021/23 and estimates for aggregates for 2022-24. A Social Expenditure Update can be found under www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/social-expenditure-database-socx.htm. The main social policy areas are as follows: Old age, Survivors, Incapacity-related benefits, Health, Family, Active labor market programmes, Unemployment, Housing, and Other social policy areas. This version also includes estimates of net total social spending for 2021 for 38 OECD countries. SOCX aggregated data as well as sources and methodology are described in The OECD SOCX Manual – 2019 edition- A guide to the OECD Social Expenditure Database.