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Data Starter: UK public sector spending 2025-26

Elizabeth Veal

20th March 2026

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On what does the UK government spend the most?

Click on link to the OBR’s brief guide to the public finances and scroll down to the Spending section – the data is the bar chart called Public Sector Spending – then answer these calculation questions:

  1. Using the information and the bar chart, calculate how much the government spends per household on health and social care.
  2. If the government did not have to pay interest on its debt, how much greater could (a) spending on defence and (b) spending on education be.

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Elizabeth Veal

Liz has taught Economics for over 25 years, including several years as Head of Economics at leading schools.

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