Government health spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government health spending as a share of GDP was 9.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
9.2%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
5th
of 59 countries
All-time high
10.0%
in 2020
All-time low
0.1%
in 1880
Years of data
72
1880–2025
Government health spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1880–2025
Source: OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, government health spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 9.2%.
That represents a change of up 2.9% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government health spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 10.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1880.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 5th of 59 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 72 years of available data.
Government health spending as a share of GDP in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.1% | — |
| 1890 | 0.2% | +23.1% |
| 1900 | 0.3% | +81.2% |
| 1910 | 0.3% | +10.3% |
| 1920 | 0.6% | +75.0% |
| 1930 | 0.6% | +14.3% |
| 1960 | 2.9% | +355.8% |
| 1961 | 3.0% | +1.9% |
| 1962 | 3.0% | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 3.0% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 3.0% | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 3.1% | +4.7% |
| 1966 | 3.2% | +3.7% |
| 1967 | 3.4% | +5.2% |
| 1968 | 3.4% | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 3.3% | -2.9% |
| 1970 | 3.4% | +3.9% |
| 1971 | 3.5% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 3.6% | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 3.5% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 4.1% | +19.2% |
| 1975 | 4.5% | +8.3% |
| 1976 | 4.5% | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 4.4% | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 4.4% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | -2.3% |
| 1980 | 4.5% | +6.6% |
| 1981 | 4.7% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 4.5% | -4.5% |
| 1983 | 4.7% | +3.7% |
| 1984 | 4.6% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 4.4% | -3.0% |
| 1986 | 4.4% | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 4.4% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 4.2% | -1.9% |
| 1990 | 4.3% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 4.6% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 5.0% | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 5.1% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 5.1% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 4.7% | -8.5% |
| 1996 | 4.6% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 5.0% | +8.7% |
| 1998 | 5.2% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 5.3% | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 5.6% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 6.0% | +7.1% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 6.6% | +5.8% |
| 2005 | 6.7% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 7.0% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 7.0% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 7.2% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 8.0% | +10.8% |
| 2010 | 7.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7.8% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 7.8% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 7.8% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 7.8% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 7.6% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 7.6% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 7.8% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 10.0% | +27.9% |
| 2021 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -10.6% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 9.0% | +2.7% |
| 2025 | 9.2% | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1960s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.0% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.6% | 5.4% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.8% | 7.6% | 7.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.3% | 8.7% | 10.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More health data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 75-79, female, annual growth rate 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, female, per capita 0.0229 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 75-79, male, per capita 0.0202 units per person (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government health spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Government health spending as a share of gdp in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 9.2% in 2025, according to OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest government health spending as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1880.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government health spending as a share of gdp?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 5th out of 59 countries with data for 2025.
- Is government health spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. 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 OECD (2026); OECD (1993); Lindert (1994) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government health spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 72 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Public health expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.