Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Proportion of total government spending on essential services was 11.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2021
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 11.8% for proportion of total government spending on essential services in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 15.8% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 14.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.8%, in 2021.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 116th out of 196 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 11.9% | — |
| 2001 | 12.1% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | +10.1% |
| 2003 | 13.4% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 12.7% | -4.7% |
| 2005 | 13.0% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 12.9% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 12.8% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 12.7% | -0.9% |
| 2009 | 12.4% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 12.8% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 12.5% | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 12.7% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 13.4% | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 13.5% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 13.4% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 13.8% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 13.3% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 13.5% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 14.0% | +3.7% |
| 2021 | 11.8% | -15.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.7% | 11.9% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.2% | 12.5% | 13.8% | 9 |
| 2020s | 12.9% | 11.8% | 14.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 113 Netherlands (Kingdom of the) 12.0% compare
- 114 Azerbaijan 11.9% compare
- 115 Bangladesh 11.9% compare
- 116 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 11.8% compare
- 118 Lithuania 11.7% compare
- 119 Samoa 11.7% compare
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 proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Proportion of total government spending on essential services in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 11.8% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of total government spending on essential services recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.8% in 2021.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for proportion of total government spending on essential services?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 116th out of 196 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of total government spending on essential services rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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, education [UIS methodology] (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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