# What it buys: spending and what is published alongside it url: https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/what-public-money-buys/ updated: 29 September 2026 licence: Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Figures: each source's own licence, listed under Sources. publisher: [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk) # What it buys: spending and what is published alongside it Last updated 29 September 2026. Figures refresh every night. [How each figure is worked out](/methodology/). Each service below shows its spending in real terms beside what is published about what it delivers: officers and recorded crime, incidents and response times, calls and waits, headcount. The two are shown together; how much of any change the money caused is not something these figures can show. Figure as of 16 July 2026. Source: [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx). ## Key figures - £31.6bnPolice, 2025-26 +4.8% in real terms As of 16 July 2026 - £4.2bnFire and rescue, 2025-26 +1.8% in real terms As of 16 July 2026 - £5.5bnAmbulance, 2024-25 +4.4% in real terms - £257.5bnNHS, 2025-26 +2.7% in real terms As of 16 July 2026 - £14.2bnRoads, 2025-26 +1.1% in real terms As of 16 July 2026 Sources: [HM Treasury](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx), [NHS England](https://www.england.nhs.uk/financial-accounting-and-reporting/nhs-providers-tac-data-publications/), [Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust](https://ambulance.nhs.wales/files/publications/annual-reports/2026/annual-report-and-accounts-2025-2026/), [Scottish Ambulance Service](https://www.scottishambulance.com/media/bg1hzlgv/annual-report-and-accounts-2024_25.pdf), [Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust](https://nias.hscni.net/download/21/annual-reports/9874/nias-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-26.pdf), [Office for Budget Responsibility](https://obr.uk/download/historical-public-finances-database/?tmstv=1790611197). ## [Police](/police/) Spending: **£31.6bn** in 2025-26 (Police, United Kingdom), £454 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £26.1bn in 2020-21 and £31.6bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Recorded crime per 1,000 residentsDetails | 83.0 per 1,000 (2025-26) | 77.1 per 1,000 (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier77.1 per 1,000 (2020-21) | | | | Officers per 100,000 residentsDetails | 235 per 100,000 (2025-26) | 228 per 100,000 (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier228 per 100,000 (2020-21) | | | | Charged or summonsedDetails | 8.6% (2025-26) | 8.5% (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier8.5% (2020-21) | | | | 999 calls answered within 10 secondsDetails | 88.8% (2026-08) | 90.3% (2026-03) | | Five periods earlier90.3% (2026-03) | | | ## [Fire and rescue](/fire-and-rescue/) Spending: **£4.2bn** in 2025-26 (Fire and rescue, United Kingdom), £59.95 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £3.8bn in 2020-21 and £4.2bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Incidents per 1,000 residentsDetails | 10.9 per 1,000 residents (2025-26) | 9.2 per 1,000 residents (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier9.2 per 1,000 residents (2020-21) | | | | Average response time to primary firesDetails | 9.42 minutes (2025-26) | 8.59 minutes (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier8.59 minutes (2020-21) | | | | Staff, full-time equivalentDetails | 40,082 FTE (2024-25) | 40,135 FTE (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier40,135 FTE (2019-20) | | | | Fire stationsDetails | 1,386 stations (2024-25) | 1,394 stations (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier1,394 stations (2019-20) | | | ## [Ambulance](/ambulance/) Spending: **£5.5bn** in 2024-25 (Ambulance services, United Kingdom), £78.77 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £5.4bn in 2023-24 and £5.6bn in 2024-25. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Category 1 (life-threatening): average responseDetails | 7.9 minutes (2026-08) | 7.8 minutes (2026-03) | | Five periods earlier7.8 minutes (2026-03) | | | | Category 2 (emergency, such as stroke or heart attack): average responseDetails | 28.9 minutes (2026-08) | 26.3 minutes (2026-03) | | Five periods earlier26.3 minutes (2026-03) | | | | Handovers taking over an hourDetails | 7.0% (2026-08) | 5.4% (2026-03) | | Five periods earlier5.4% (2026-03) | | | ## [NHS](/nhs/) Spending: **£257.5bn** in 2025-26 (Health, United Kingdom), £3,706 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £265.7bn in 2020-21 and £257.5bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Waiting under 18 weeks (England)Details | 65.3% (2026-07) | 64.9% (2026-04) | | Five periods earlier64.9% (2026-04) | | | | Waiting list per 1,000 residents (England)Details | 121.7 per 1,000 residents (2026-07) | 121.1 per 1,000 residents (2026-04) | | Five periods earlier121.1 per 1,000 residents (2026-04) | | | | NHS staff, full-time equivalent (England)Details | 1,369,177 FTE (2026-07) | 1,379,060 FTE (2026-02) | | Five periods earlier1,379,060 FTE (2026-02) | | | ## [Roads](/roads/) Spending: **£14.2bn** in 2025-26 (United Kingdom), £205 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £14.5bn in 2020-21 and £14.2bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Road maintenance spending per mileDetails | £6,923 (2025-26) | £6,313 (2023-24) | | Five periods earlier£6,313 (2023-24) | | | | A roads where maintenance should be consideredDetails | 5% (2024-25) | 4% (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier4% (2019-20) | | | | Roadworks on site in the monthDetails | 185,759 works (2026-08) | 243,594 works (2026-03) | | Five periods earlier243,594 works (2026-03) | | | ## [Schools](/education/) Spending: **£125.7bn** in 2025-26 (United Kingdom), £1,809 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £116.1bn in 2020-21 and £125.7bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Schools block funding per pupilDetails | £6,771 (2026-27) | £5,221 (2021-22) | | Five periods earlier£5,221 (2021-22) | | | | Pupils per teacherDetails | 17.9 pupils per teacher (2025/26) | 18.0 pupils per teacher (2020/21) | | Five periods earlier18.0 pupils per teacher (2020/21) | | | ## [Council spending](/local-government/) Spending: **£202.4bn** in 2024-25 (United Kingdom), £2,921 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £197.5bn in 2019-20 and £209.3bn in 2024-25. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Council spending per resident, excluding schools, police and fireDetails | £1,173 (2025-26) | £905 (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier£905 (2020-21) | | | | Share of income from council taxDetails | 20.8% (2025-26) | 20.5% (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier20.5% (2020-21) | | | | Adult social care spending per residentDetails | £466 (2025-26) | £332 (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier£332 (2020-21) | | | ## [Social care](/social-care/) Spending: **£56.1bn** in 2025-26 (United Kingdom), £808 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £44.8bn in 2020-21 and £56.1bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Adult social care spending per adultDetails | £633 (2024-25) | £444 (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier£444 (2019-20) | | | | Share of long-term care spending on care homesDetails | 46.5% (2024-25) | 49.0% (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier49.0% (2019-20) | | | | Children’s services spending per childDetails | £1,197 (2024-25) | £794 (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier£794 (2019-20) | | | | Children looked after per 10,000 childrenDetails | 67 per 10,000 children (2025) | 69 per 10,000 children (2021) | | Five periods earlier69 per 10,000 children (2021) | | | ## [Housing](/housing/) Spending: **£22.5bn** in 2025-26 (United Kingdom), £324 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £16.7bn in 2020-21 and £22.5bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 householdsDetails | 5.5 per 1,000 households (2026-03) | 4.0 per 1,000 households (2021-03) | | Five periods earlier4.0 per 1,000 households (2021-03) | | | | Spending on temporary accommodation per residentDetails | £23.27 (2025-26) | £16.17 (2023-24) | | Five periods earlier£16.17 (2023-24) | | | | Affordable homes completed per 1,000 householdsDetails | 2.6 per 1,000 households (2024-25) | 2.1 per 1,000 households (2020-21) | | Five periods earlier2.1 per 1,000 households (2020-21) | | | | General Fund housing spending per residentDetails | £59.13 (2025-26) | £45.44 (2023-24) | | Five periods earlier£45.44 (2023-24) | | | ## [Waste and recycling](/environment/) Spending: **£25.8bn** in 2025-26 (United Kingdom), £371 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £23.0bn in 2020-21 and £25.8bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | Household waste sent for reuse, recycling or compostingDetails | 42.0% (2024-25) | 43.8% (2019-20) | | Five periods earlier43.8% (2019-20) | | | | Spending on waste collection and recycling per householdDetails | £81 (2025-26) | — | | Five periods earlier— | | | ## [Armed forces](/armed-forces/) Spending: **£65.4bn** in 2025-26 (Defence, United Kingdom), £941 per resident; in 2025-26 prices it was £54.2bn in 2020-21 and £65.4bn in 2025-26. | Measure | Latest | Five periods earlier | | --- | --- | --- | | UK regular forcesDetails | 137,482 people (2026-07) | 136,998 people (2025-04) | | Five periods earlier136,998 people (2025-04) | | | | Core defence spending, NATO measureDetails | 2.56 % of GDP (2026e) | 2.25 % of GDP (2021) | | Five periods earlier2.25 % of GDP (2021) | | | ## What these figures do and don't show - **Side by side, not cause and effect.** A rise in spending and a change in an output in the same years does not show that one caused the other: demand, prices, population, policy and recording all change too. - **Different areas.** Spending is for the UK or the nation named; outputs are for the group named in each table (England and Wales for police, England for fire response times). They are not mixed into one figure. - **Outputs are what is published,** not everything a service does. Each service’s page has the fuller picture and the breaks in each series. ## Sources for this page | Source | Publisher | Figures as of | Updated | Licence | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [PESA 2026: chapters 4 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772f59e63154454413701/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | HM Treasury | 16 July 2026 | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [PESA 2021: chapter 4 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60f573d2d3bf7f56824cc5f3/PESA_2021_CP_Chapter_5.xlsx) | HM Treasury | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [PESA 2016: chapter 4 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f5c21e5274a2e87db561f/PESA_2016_Chapter_5_tables.xlsx) | HM Treasury | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [PESA 2011: chapter 4 and 5 tables](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c87a5ed915d6969f45852/pesa_2011_tables_chapter5.xlsx) | HM Treasury | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [NHS providers: trust accounts consolidation (TAC) data, 2024/25, 2022/23, 2020/21 accounts](https://www.england.nhs.uk/financial-accounting-and-reporting/nhs-providers-tac-data-publications/) | NHS England | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26](https://ambulance.nhs.wales/files/publications/annual-reports/2026/annual-report-and-accounts-2025-2026/) | Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24](https://ambulance.nhs.wales/files/publications/annual-reports/2024/wast-annual-report-and-accounts-202324/) | Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Scottish Ambulance Service Board, Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25](https://www.scottishambulance.com/media/bg1hzlgv/annual-report-and-accounts-2024_25.pdf) | Scottish Ambulance Service | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSC Trust, Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26](https://nias.hscni.net/download/21/annual-reports/9874/nias-annual-report-and-accounts-2025-26.pdf) | Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSC Trust, Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25](https://nias.hscni.net/download/21/annual-reports/9875/nias-annual-report-and-accounts-2024-25.pdf) | Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | | [Historical public finances database](https://obr.uk/download/historical-public-finances-database/?tmstv=1790611197) | Office for Budget Responsibility | — | annual | [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/) | Each source's figures are used under the licence shown. Our own words, analysis, charts and derived calculations are ours, under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Related pages - [Next in this section: The cost of collection](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/cost-of-collection/) - [Where does my tax money actually go?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/for-every-100-pounds-of-tax/) - [How much is council tax and what does it pay for?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/council-tax/) - [How much crime is there where I live?](https://whereyourmoneygoes.co.uk/crime/) ## More from this publisher - [UK tax calculators](https://howlongisit.co.uk) Published by [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). Our words, analysis, charts and derived calculations: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), credit [Tekstak Ltd](https://tek-stak.co.uk). The figures belong to the publishers listed under Sources and are used under their licences. Figures last updated 29 September 2026.