Public healthcare spending as share of GDP in the United Kingdom (UK) 2000-2022

In 2022, the annual spending on public healthcare in the United Kingdom (UK) accounted for 9.3 percent of GDP. This is a significant decrease from 10.3 percent in 2021 and the highest share in the reported time period.

Total spending on health in the UK

In total approximately 282 billion British pounds were spent on healthcare in the UK in 2022. Although, spending as a share of GDP decreased from 2009 to 2019, the total spending on health has continued to increase. Broken down by function, the UK government spent almost 139 billion pounds on curative/rehabilitative care.

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.