Proportion of total government spending on essential … social in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Proportion of total government spending on essential … social was 32.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
32.9%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
35th
of 128 countries
All-time high
37.7%
in 2015
All-time low
32.3%
in 2020
Years of data
24
2000–2023
Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in United Kingdom, 2000–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2023, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in United Kingdom stood at 32.9%.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in United Kingdom peaked at 37.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 32.3%, in 2020.
United Kingdom ranks 35th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential … social in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 37.3% | — |
| 2001 | 37.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 36.8% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 36.8% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 36.4% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 35.1% | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 34.7% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 34.7% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 33.3% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 35.2% | +5.9% |
| 2010 | 35.3% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 36.2% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 37.1% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 37.6% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 37.3% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 37.7% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 37.5% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 36.4% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 36.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 36.1% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 32.3% | -10.6% |
| 2021 | 33.3% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 32.7% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 32.9% | +0.6% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 32.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 31.3%, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 32.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 35.5%, 92% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.8% | 33.3% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.8% | 35.3% | 37.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.8% | 32.3% | 33.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More poverty & inequality data for United Kingdom
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 7,138 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -7.54 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.91 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in United Kingdom?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social in United Kingdom was 32.9% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 37.7% in 2015.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services, social recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.3% in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services, social?
- United Kingdom ranks 35th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services, social rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of total government spending on essential services, social protection (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).