Government spending: United Kingdom, 1906–2021
Draw it before you lookCould you sketch this curve from memory? Draw it, then see how close you were.Government spending in United Kingdom: how has it changed since 1906?
Government spending (United Kingdom) went from 7.3% in 1906 to 46% in 2021.
Before 1914 the British state spent less than a tenth of national income. World War I pushed spending to 68% of GDP in 1916. World War II pushed it above 60% again. Each time it fell back, but never to pre-war levels. Pensions, the NHS and the welfare state keep it at 40 to 50% today.
What are the key figures?
- First year
- 7.3% in 1906
- Latest year
- 46% in 2021
- Highest
- 68% in 1916
- Lowest
- 7.3% in 1906
- Change
- 6.2× higher
What does this chart measure?
Government spending (% of GDP). All government spending, debt interest included, as a share of the economy. One value every 5 years.
What happened along the way?
- 1916World War I
- 1946Welfare state
What are the exact numbers?
| Year | % of GDP |
|---|---|
| 1906 | 7.3% |
| 1911 | 8% |
| 1916 | 68% |
| 1921 | 22% |
| 1926 | 19% |
| 1931 | 20% |
| 1936 | 19% |
| 1941 | 51% |
| 1946 | 61% |
| 1951 | 29% |
| 1956 | 31% |
| 1961 | 31% |
| 1966 | 36% |
| 1971 | 41% |
| 1976 | 49% |
| 1981 | 51% |
| 1986 | 45% |
| 1991 | 43% |
| 1996 | 42% |
| 2001 | 40% |
| 2006 | 44% |
| 2011 | 44% |
| 2016 | 40% |
| 2021 | 46% |
Where does the data come from?
Government spending as share of GDP. International Monetary Fund (2025). Data published by Our World in Data under CC BY 4.0.
Played in CurvGuessr puzzle #7, November 11, 2026. Past puzzles
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