Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in was 3.8% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
3.8%
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
67th
of 107 countries
All-time high
8.1%
in 2001
All-time low
0.2%
in 2006
Years of data
23
1998–2021

Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2021

024681998200920211998: 4.7 %1999: 6.2 %2000: 5.9 %2001: 8.1 %2002: 6.9 %2003: 5.5 %2004: 7.9 %2005: 0.184 %2006: 0.16 %2007: 3.7 %2008: 0.924 %2009: 0.406 %2010: 0.386 %2011: 6.6 %2013: 2.8 %2014: 2.8 %2015: 2.9 %2016: 2.7 %2017: 2.2 %2018: 2 %2019: 1.9 %2020: 3.6 %2021: 3.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 3.8% for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in 2021.

That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and down 42.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 8.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2006.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 67th out of 107 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in pre-primary public institutions (%) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2021.
Year % Change
1998 4.7%
1999 6.2% +31.7%
2000 5.9% -5.0%
2001 8.1% +37.8%
2002 6.9% -15.2%
2003 5.5% -20.1%
2004 7.9% +44.3%
2005 0.2% -97.7%
2006 0.2% -13.1%
2007 3.7% +2177.5%
2008 0.9% -74.7%
2009 0.4% -56.1%
2010 0.4% -4.8%
2011 6.6% +1601.2%
2013 2.8% -57.8%
2014 2.8% +1.3%
2015 2.9% +2.3%
2016 2.7% -7.4%
2017 2.2% -15.6%
2018 2.0% -11.0%
2019 1.9% -3.1%
2020 3.6% +86.9%
2021 3.8% +5.1%

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.1%, 62% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 3.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.2%, 61% of the median. (43 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2007 +2177.5% 0.2% 3.7%
2011 +1601.2% 0.4% 6.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5.5% 4.7% 6.2% 2
2000s 4.0% 0.2% 8.1% 10
2010s 2.7% 0.4% 6.6% 9
2020s 3.7% 3.6% 3.8% 2

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 64 Niger 4.2% compare
  2. 65 Chile 4.1% compare
  3. 66 Mali 3.9% compare
  4. 68 Paraguay 3.2% compare
  5. 69 Lithuania 3.1% compare
  6. 70 Ukraine 2.6% compare

See the full ranking of 107 places →

More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 3.8% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2001.
What is the lowest capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2006.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 67th out of 107 countries with data for 2021.
Is capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in pre-primary public institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/capital-expenditure-as-a-percentage-of-total-expenditure-in-pre-primary-public/united-kingdom/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/capital-expenditure-as-a-percentage-of-total-expenditure-in-pre-primary-public/united-kingdom/">Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Capital expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in pre-primary public institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
107 places, 1,468 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release