Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public was 92.3% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
92.3%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
63rd
of 125 countries
All-time high
97.8%
in 2019
All-time low
88.6%
in 2010
Years of data
23
1998–2021
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1998–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 92.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 97.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 88.6%, in 2010.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 63rd of 125 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 95.1% | — |
| 1999 | 94.3% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 94.9% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 92.3% | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 93.0% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 93.9% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 92.1% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 92.0% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 91.4% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 93.9% | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 91.7% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 90.4% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 88.6% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 93.8% | +5.9% |
| 2013 | 97.3% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 97.3% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 97.4% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.7% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 97.5% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 97.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 97.8% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 92.0% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 92.3% | +0.4% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 92.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 92.1%, 1.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 92.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 92.4%, 100% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 94.7% | 94.3% | 95.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 92.6% | 90.4% | 94.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.1% | 88.6% | 97.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 92.2% | 92.0% | 92.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 92.3% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 97.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.6% in 2010.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 63rd out of 125 countries with data for 2021.
- Is current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in public rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. 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 UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Current expenditure as a percentage of total expenditure in 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).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release