Fiscal
Total tax vs the total welfare bill
Public sector total current receipts — or income tax alone — against public sector net social benefits paid, in cash terms, for every year the ONS publishes. No figure is adjusted, deflated or estimated here.
Total receipts
£867.5bn
2026 (Jan–Aug, part year)
Total welfare bill
£232.6bn
2026 (Jan–Aug, part year)
Welfare as a share of receipts
26.8%
Arithmetic on the two published totals
81 published years · last complete year 2025 · 2026 covers Jan–Aug only · last revised 22 Sept 2026 · next release 21 Oct 2026
Year by year
Every year the ONS publishes, in cash terms. Part-year rows are the publisher’s own monthly figures added together — nothing is annualised or projected.
| Year | Total receipts | Welfare bill | Welfare / receipts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Jan–Aug part year | £867.5bn | £232.6bn | 26.8% |
| 2025 | £1,199bn | £333.4bn | 27.8% |
| 2024 | £1,136.8bn | £312.5bn | 27.5% |
| 2023 | £1,121.2bn | £286.7bn | 25.6% |
| 2022 | £1,034.3bn | £260.2bn | 25.2% |
| 2021 | £909.1bn | £249.7bn | 27.5% |
| 2020 | £808.5bn | £241.8bn | 29.9% |
| 2019 | £847.5bn | £224.3bn | 26.5% |
| 2018 | £822.7bn | £226bn | 27.5% |
| 2017 | £807.1bn | £219.9bn | 27.2% |
| 2016 | £762.2bn | £220bn | 28.9% |
| 2015 | £726.2bn | £217.7bn | 30.0% |
| 2014 | £706.2bn | £215bn | 30.4% |
| 2013 | £698.1bn | £210.6bn | 30.2% |
| 2012 | £684.6bn | £207.6bn | 30.3% |
| 2011 | £682.1bn | £196.2bn | 28.8% |
| 2010 | £644.2bn | £188.1bn | 29.2% |
| 2009 | £618.9bn | £178.5bn | 28.8% |
| 2008 | £621.9bn | £159.8bn | 25.7% |
| 2007 | £575.8bn | £148.5bn | 25.8% |
| 2006 | £541.2bn | £139bn | 25.7% |
| 2005 | £509bn | £134.4bn | 26.4% |
| 2004 | £473.9bn | £130.2bn | 27.5% |
| 2003 | £439.3bn | £122bn | 27.8% |
| 2002 | £416.3bn | £112.9bn | 27.1% |
| 2001 | £413bn | £108bn | 26.2% |
| 2000 | £400.2bn | £101.6bn | 25.4% |
| 1999 | £371.2bn | £99.5bn | 26.8% |
| 1998 | £350bn | £99.3bn | 28.4% |
| 1997 | £320bn | £101.1bn | 31.6% |
| 1996 | £294.8bn | £102.6bn | 34.8% |
| 1995 | £281.5bn | £101bn | 35.9% |
| 1994 | £258.9bn | £96.9bn | 37.4% |
| 1993 | £241.6bn | £93.4bn | 38.7% |
| 1992 | £238.7bn | £85.9bn | 36.0% |
| 1991 | £235.5bn | £74.6bn | 31.7% |
| 1990 | £228.9bn | £59.7bn | 26.1% |
| 1989 | £215.7bn | £54.4bn | 25.2% |
| 1988 | £198.1bn | £51.7bn | 26.1% |
| 1987 | £179.4bn | £50.5bn | 28.1% |
| 1986 | £168.1bn | £48.6bn | 28.9% |
| 1985 | £159.9bn | £44.8bn | 28.0% |
| 1984 | £148.2bn | £40.8bn | 27.6% |
| 1983 | £140bn | £37.8bn | 27.0% |
| 1982 | £130bn | £34.8bn | 26.8% |
| 1981 | £115.8bn | £29.6bn | 25.6% |
| 1980 | £100bn | £23.9bn | 23.9% |
| 1979 | £80.7bn | £19.7bn | 24.4% |
| 1978 | £68.9bn | £16.5bn | 23.9% |
| 1977 | £62.1bn | £13.7bn | 22.1% |
| 1976 | £54.9bn | £11.4bn | 20.8% |
| 1975 | £46.1bn | £9.1bn | 19.8% |
| 1974 | £36.2bn | £7bn | 19.4% |
| 1973 | £28.9bn | £5.8bn | 19.9% |
| 1972 | £26bn | £5.3bn | 20.2% |
| 1971 | £24.3bn | £4.4bn | 17.9% |
| 1970 | £22.8bn | £4bn | 17.5% |
| 1969 | £20.7bn | £3.6bn | 17.6% |
| 1968 | £18.4bn | £3.4bn | 18.4% |
| 1967 | £16.3bn | £2.9bn | 18.1% |
| 1966 | £14.6bn | £2.6bn | 17.7% |
| 1965 | £13.3bn | £2.4bn | 18.0% |
| 1964 | £11.9bn | £2.1bn | 17.5% |
| 1963 | £10.9bn | £2bn | 17.9% |
| 1962 | £10.5bn | £1.8bn | 16.9% |
| 1961 | £9.6bn | £1.6bn | 16.9% |
| 1960 | £8.7bn | £1.5bn | 17.1% |
| 1959 | £8.3bn | £1.5bn | 17.7% |
| 1958 | £8.3bn | £1.3bn | 16.1% |
| 1957 | £7.8bn | £1.1bn | 14.4% |
| 1956 | £7.3bn | £1.1bn | 14.7% |
| 1955 | £6.9bn | £0.9bn | 13.4% |
| 1954 | £6.5bn | £0.9bn | 14.2% |
| 1953 | £6.2bn | £1bn | 15.4% |
| 1952 | £6bn | £0.9bn | 14.6% |
| 1951 | £5.8bn | £0.7bn | 12.2% |
| 1950 | £5.4bn | £0.7bn | 12.5% |
| 1949 | £5.2bn | £0.7bn | 12.6% |
| 1948 | £4.8bn | £0.7bn | 13.6% |
| 1947 | £3.8bn | £0.7bn | 17.4% |
| 1946 | £3.7bn | £0.6bn | 16.4% |
Official sources
- ONS · PS: Total current receipts (ANBT)
- ONS · PS: Net social benefits (ANLY)
- ONS · CG: PAYE income tax (MS6W)
- ONS · CG: Self assessed income tax (LISB)
- ONS · CG: Other income tax (MF6X)
- HMRC · Tax receipts and National Insurance contributions
- DWP · Benefit expenditure and caseload tables
- OBR · Economic and fiscal outlook