DWP · 8 June 20015 May 2005

State Pension expenditure during the Labour 2001–2005 government

Year ending March 2001Year ending March 2005 · 4 periods

26.0%+£10.1bn

State Pension expenditure rose by 26.0% over the period, from £38.7bn (Year ending March 2001, the level when the government took office) to £48.8bn (Year ending March 2005, the last complete period before it left office). That is an average of +5.9% a year over the term.

  1. Inherited level Year ending March 2001: £38.7bn
  2. Level when it left Year ending March 2005: £48.8bn
  3. method: latest complete period before start / before end

In real terms (Year ending March 2005 prices, ONS CPI all-items index) the change is a rise of 18.6%: £41.1bn to £48.8bn. The figures above are cash terms as published. HM Treasury deflates public spending with the GDP deflator, not CPI, so official real-terms spending figures can differ.

Changes during this period do not by themselves show what the government caused. Statistics reflect many influences, including earlier decisions, the economy and how the data is collected.

State Pension expenditure: Year ending March 1949 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour050k100k19501960197019801990200020102020Year ending March 1949: £176.4m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1950: £248.9m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1951: £248.6m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1952: £275.2m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1953: £315.5m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1954: £334.1m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1955: £348.1m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1956: £432.5m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1957: £447.9m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1958: £482.1m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1959: £617.4m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1960: £657m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1961: £676.9m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1962: £783.9m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1963: £807.1m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1964: £958.8m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1965: £1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1966: £1.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1967: £1.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1968: £1.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1969: £1.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1970: £1.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1971: £1.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1972: £2.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1973: £2.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1974: £2.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1975: £3.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1976: £4.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1977: £5.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1978: £6.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1979: £7.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: £8.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: £10.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: £12.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: £13.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: £14.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: £15.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: £16.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: £17.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: £18.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: £19.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: £20.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: £22.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: £25.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: £26.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: £28.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: £28.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: £30bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: £32bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: £33.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: £35.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: £37.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: £38.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: £41.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: £44.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: £46.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: £48.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: £51.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: £53.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: £57.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: £61.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: £66.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: £69.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: £74.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: £79.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: £83.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: £86.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: £89.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: £91.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: £93.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: £96.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: £98.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: £102bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: £104.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: £110.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: £124.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: £136.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026

Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover, tap or use arrow keys to read a value; tap again to unpin
The chart as a table
PeriodState Pension expenditure
Year ending March 1949£176.4m
Year ending March 1950£248.9m
Year ending March 1951£248.6m
Year ending March 1952£275.2m
Year ending March 1953£315.5m
Year ending March 1954£334.1m
Year ending March 1955£348.1m
Year ending March 1956£432.5m
Year ending March 1957£447.9m
Year ending March 1958£482.1m
Year ending March 1959£617.4m
Year ending March 1960£657m
Year ending March 1961£676.9m
Year ending March 1962£783.9m
Year ending March 1963£807.1m
Year ending March 1964£958.8m
Year ending March 1965£1bn
Year ending March 1966£1.2bn
Year ending March 1967£1.3bn
Year ending March 1968£1.4bn
Year ending March 1969£1.5bn
Year ending March 1970£1.6bn
Year ending March 1971£1.8bn
Year ending March 1972£2.1bn
Year ending March 1973£2.4bn
Year ending March 1974£2.8bn
Year ending March 1975£3.6bn
Year ending March 1976£4.8bn
Year ending March 1977£5.7bn
Year ending March 1978£6.6bn
Year ending March 1979£7.6bn
Year ending March 1980£8.9bn
Year ending March 1981£10.6bn
Year ending March 1982£12.2bn
Year ending March 1983£13.6bn
Year ending March 1984£14.7bn
Year ending March 1985£15.3bn
Year ending March 1986£16.6bn
Year ending March 1987£17.8bn
Year ending March 1988£18.7bn
Year ending March 1989£19.3bn
Year ending March 1990£20.7bn
Year ending March 1991£22.7bn
Year ending March 1992£25.6bn
Year ending March 1993£26.7bn
Year ending March 1994£28.2bn
Year ending March 1995£28.8bn
Year ending March 1996£30bn
Year ending March 1997£32bn
Year ending March 1998£33.6bn
Year ending March 1999£35.6bn
Year ending March 2000£37.8bn
Year ending March 2001£38.7bn
Year ending March 2002£41.9bn
Year ending March 2003£44.4bn
Year ending March 2004£46.5bn
Year ending March 2005£48.8bn
Year ending March 2006£51.4bn
Year ending March 2007£53.7bn
Year ending March 2008£57.6bn
Year ending March 2009£61.6bn
Year ending March 2010£66.9bn
Year ending March 2011£69.8bn
Year ending March 2012£74.2bn
Year ending March 2013£79.8bn
Year ending March 2014£83.1bn
Year ending March 2015£86.5bn
Year ending March 2016£89.4bn
Year ending March 2017£91.6bn
Year ending March 2018£93.8bn
Year ending March 2019£96.7bn
Year ending March 2020£98.8bn
Year ending March 2021£102bn
Year ending March 2022£104.7bn
Year ending March 2023£110.5bn
Year ending March 2024£124.1bn
Year ending March 2025£136.6bn

Definition and caveats

Spending on the State Pension in the financial year, in cash terms.

Doesn’t measure: Pension Credit or other pensioner benefits, which are counted separately.