United Kingdom - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in United Kingdom was 36.21 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 42.69 in 2010, while its lowest value was 28.84 in 1973.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 29.51
1973 28.84
1974 33.25
1975 36.49
1976 36.44
1977 34.53
1978 34.49
1979 33.98
1980 35.56
1981 37.48
1982 37.67
1983 36.88
1984 36.82
1985 35.93
1986 34.98
1987 33.14
1988 30.97
1989 29.65
1990 32.58
1991 34.78
1992 37.64
1993 37.37
1994 37.08
1995 35.28
1996 34.05
1997 33.04
1998 32.39
1999 32.12
2000 32.61
2001 33.01
2002 34.30
2003 35.59
2004 36.12
2005 36.62
2006 36.74
2007 36.96
2008 39.67
2009 42.10
2010 42.69
2011 41.46
2012 42.15
2013 39.90
2014 39.20
2015 38.33
2016 37.27
2017 36.74
2018 36.49
2019 36.21

Limitations and Exceptions: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance