Civometry

HM Treasury · percent of GDP

Education spending as a share of GDP under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Education spending as a share of GDP: Year ending March 2003 to Year ending March 2026LabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%2%4%20052010201520202025Year ending March 2003: 4.5% percent of GDP · published 17 July 2025Year ending March 2004: 4.8% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2005: 4.8% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2006: 4.9% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2007: 4.9% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2008: 5% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2009: 5.2% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2010: 5.6% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2011: 5.6% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2012: 5.1% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2013: 4.9% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2014: 4.7% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2015: 4.5% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2016: 4.4% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2017: 4.2% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2018: 4.1% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2019: 4% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2020: 4% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2021: 4.5% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2022: 4.2% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2023: 4.1% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2024: 4.1% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2025: 4.2% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026Year ending March 2026: 4.1% percent of GDP · published 2 September 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – present4.1%Year ending March 20244.1%Year ending March 2026→ 0.0%0%
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 20244%Year ending March 20194.1%Year ending March 2024↑ 2.5%+0.1%
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 20194.2%Year ending March 20174%Year ending March 2019↓ 4.8%−0.2%
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 20174.5%Year ending March 20154.2%Year ending March 2017↓ 6.7%−0.3%
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 20155.6%Year ending March 20104.5%Year ending March 2015↓ 19.6%−1.1%
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 20104.8%Year ending March 20055.6%Year ending March 2010↑ 16.7%+0.8%
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005No complete period was published before this government took office.
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987No complete period was published before this government took office.
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983No complete period was published before this government took office.