United Kingdom Government Expenditure (% of GDP) (2023)
United Kingdom's Government Expenditure (% of GDP): 41.2 % of GDP in 2023, +0.5pp YoY. World Bank (GC.XPN.TOTL.GD.ZS), 1974–2023.
United Kingdom (2023)
41.2
% of GDP
+0.5pp YoY
YoY Change
+0.5pp
percentage points
Trend
up
Series length
50
years of data
Data
| Year | % of GDP | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 41.2 | +0.5pp |
| 2022 | 40.7 | -2.2pp |
| 2021 | 42.9 | -4.6pp |
| 2020 | 47.5 | +11.1pp |
| 2019 | 36.4 | -0.8pp |
| 2018 | 37.2 | +0.4pp |
| 2017 | 36.8 | -0.2pp |
| 2016 | 37 | -1.2pp |
| 2015 | 38.2 | -0.9pp |
| 2014 | 39.1 | -0.9pp |
| 2013 | 40 | -3.1pp |
| 2012 | 43.1 | +0.6pp |
| 2011 | 42.5 | -1.4pp |
| 2010 | 43.9 | +0.4pp |
| 2009 | 43.5 | +2.5pp |
| 2008 | 41 | +2.8pp |
| 2007 | 38.2 | +0.2pp |
| 2006 | 38 | +0.3pp |
| 2005 | 37.7 | +0.4pp |
| 2004 | 37.3 | +0.5pp |
About this Dataset
United Kingdom recorded 41.2 % of GDP in 2023. The latest change was +0.5pp. Across 1974–2023 the series ranges from 29.7 in 1989 to 47.5 in 2020.
This page tracks general government expenditure as a share of GDP in United Kingdom from 1990 to present. The size of government relative to the economy shapes fiscal sustainability, crowding-out effects, and public sector demand.
Data sourced from World Bank via Open Data API. Values use World Bank standardised methodology intended for cross-country comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page tracks general government expenditure as a share of GDP in United Kingdom from 1990 to present. The size of government relative to the economy shapes fiscal sustainability, crowding-out effects, and public sector demand. It is published by World Bank and updated annually.
The most recent observation covers 2023. World Bank typically publishes this series with a lag of several months after the reference period. The series runs 1974–2023 (50 observations).
The series peaked at 47.5 % of GDP in 2020 and reached its lowest recorded value of 29.7 in 1989. The latest reading of 41.2 in 2023 represents a change of +0.5pp.