Public healthcare spending as share of GDP in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2020

In 2021, the annual spending on public healthcare in the United Kingdom (UK) accounted for 9.9 percent of GDP. This is a large jump from the 7.8 percent in 2019 and the highest share in the reported time period.

Total spending on health in the UK

In total approximately 225 billion British pounds were spent on healthcare in the UK in 2019. Broken down by sector, almost 150 billion pounds were spent in the public sector. Total spending has continued to increase, despite spending as a share of GDP decreasing from 2009 to 2019.

Performance of the NHS in the UK

Individuals in the UK still regard the NHS as a world class health service and remain happy with the high level of care provided by the organization. Although waiting times have been getting worse in the A&E department over the years. The NHS has been falling behind the target that 95 percent of patients should be seen within four hours of arrival. As a result, the primary reasons for dissatisfaction with the NHS among the public are the length of time required to get a GP or hospital appointment and the lack of staff.