Spending on economic affairs: record highs and lows

The extremes of spending on economic affairs as published by HM Treasury, across the 24 periods held here (Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2026). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

£196.3bnYear ending March 2021

Lowest published

£30.7bnYear ending March 2003

The full series

Spending on economic affairs: Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2026LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour05010015020052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: £30.7bn £ billion · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2004: £33bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2005: £33.5bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2006: £35.2bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2007: £37.4bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2008: £37.3bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2009: £49.6bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2010: £48.6bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2011: £39.9bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2012: £37.7bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2013: £36.6bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2014: £40.8bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2015: £41bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2016: £46.9bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2017: £49.1bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2018: £53bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2019: £60.7bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2020: £66.6bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2021: £196.3bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2022: £97.7bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2023: £124.5bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2024: £94.4bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2025: £88bn £ billion · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2026: £94bn £ billion · published 2 September 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
PeriodSpending on economic affairs
Year ending March 2003£30.7bn
Year ending March 2004£33bn
Year ending March 2005£33.5bn
Year ending March 2006£35.2bn
Year ending March 2007£37.4bn
Year ending March 2008£37.3bn
Year ending March 2009£49.6bn
Year ending March 2010£48.6bn
Year ending March 2011£39.9bn
Year ending March 2012£37.7bn
Year ending March 2013£36.6bn
Year ending March 2014£40.8bn
Year ending March 2015£41bn
Year ending March 2016£46.9bn
Year ending March 2017£49.1bn
Year ending March 2018£53bn
Year ending March 2019£60.7bn
Year ending March 2020£66.6bn
Year ending March 2021£196.3bn
Year ending March 2022£97.7bn
Year ending March 2023£124.5bn
Year ending March 2024£94.4bn
Year ending March 2025£88bn
Year ending March 2026£94bn

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.