Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita was 21.1% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
21.1%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
72nd
of 184 countries
All-time high
25.0%
in 1980
All-time low
12.9%
in 1996
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1950–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 21.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 25.0% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 1996.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 72nd out of 184 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 17.1% | — |
| 1951 | 18.3% | +6.9% |
| 1952 | 20.2% | +10.6% |
| 1953 | 19.9% | -1.6% |
| 1954 | 19.3% | -3.1% |
| 1955 | 18.4% | -4.4% |
| 1956 | 18.1% | -1.8% |
| 1957 | 17.7% | -2.2% |
| 1958 | 17.4% | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 17.2% | -1.2% |
| 1960 | 16.8% | -2.0% |
| 1961 | 17.3% | +2.7% |
| 1962 | 17.5% | +1.6% |
| 1963 | 17.5% | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 17.0% | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 17.4% | +2.2% |
| 1966 | 17.8% | +2.5% |
| 1967 | 18.7% | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 18.2% | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 17.8% | -2.3% |
| 1970 | 17.8% | -0.1% |
| 1971 | 18.5% | +4.0% |
| 1972 | 19.2% | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 18.9% | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 20.4% | +7.8% |
| 1975 | 22.4% | +10.0% |
| 1976 | 22.9% | +2.0% |
| 1977 | 22.9% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 23.0% | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 23.2% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 25.0% | +7.6% |
| 1981 | 24.6% | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 23.5% | -4.6% |
| 1983 | 22.0% | -6.3% |
| 1984 | 20.9% | -4.8% |
| 1985 | 19.4% | -7.1% |
| 1986 | 19.4% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 18.4% | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 17.4% | -5.3% |
| 1989 | 17.0% | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 16.0% | -5.9% |
| 1991 | 16.6% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 16.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 15.9% | -4.7% |
| 1994 | 15.4% | -3.3% |
| 1995 | 13.8% | -10.5% |
| 1996 | 12.9% | -6.5% |
| 1997 | 13.1% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 13.4% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 14.0% | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 14.3% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 16.6% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 16.1% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 16.6% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 16.8% | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 17.9% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 18.6% | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 20.5% | +9.9% |
| 2010 | 19.8% | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 19.7% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 19.2% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 18.5% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 19.2% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 19.2% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 19.4% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 19.1% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 18.8% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 23.1% | +22.8% |
| 2021 | 21.9% | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 21.2% | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 21.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 18.4% | 17.1% | 20.2% | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.6% | 16.8% | 18.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 20.9% | 17.8% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.8% | 17.0% | 25.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 12.9% | 16.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 16.8% | 14.3% | 20.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.2% | 18.5% | 19.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.8% | 21.1% | 23.1% | 4 |
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 share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 21.1% in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 25.0% in 1980.
- What is the lowest share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 1996.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 72nd out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of government consumption in gdp vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of government consumption in GDP vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Government consumption divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.