Social contributions (% of revenue) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Social contributions (% of revenue) was 17.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Social contributions in United Kingdom, 1972–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of revenue.
Analysis
In 2024, social contributions in United Kingdom stood at 17.3%.
That represents a change of down 7.6% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, social contributions in United Kingdom peaked at 22.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 15.2%, in 1981.
That places United Kingdom 50th out of 112 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Social contributions (% of revenue) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of revenue | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15.6% | — |
| 1973 | 17.0% | +8.6% |
| 1974 | 17.0% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 17.3% | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 18.6% | +7.3% |
| 1977 | 17.4% | -6.4% |
| 1978 | 17.1% | -2.1% |
| 1979 | 16.2% | -4.7% |
| 1980 | 15.5% | -4.7% |
| 1981 | 15.2% | -2.1% |
| 1982 | 16.3% | +7.2% |
| 1983 | 16.8% | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 16.9% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 16.7% | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 17.6% | +5.3% |
| 1987 | 22.2% | +26.0% |
| 1988 | 22.0% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 21.8% | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 20.1% | -7.8% |
| 1991 | 19.8% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 20.4% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 21.5% | +5.6% |
| 1994 | 21.0% | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 18.7% | -10.9% |
| 1996 | 18.8% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 18.2% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 17.5% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 17.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 17.4% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 17.6% | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 17.6% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 18.4% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 18.5% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 18.1% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 18.4% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 18.1% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 18.1% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 19.2% | +6.3% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | -16.8% |
| 2011 | 18.4% | +15.2% |
| 2012 | 18.3% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 17.8% | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 18.0% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 18.1% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 18.3% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 18.5% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 19.3% | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 20.3% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 19.5% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 19.4% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 18.7% | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 17.3% | -7.6% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 17.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 28.1%, 61% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 17.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 29.8%, 58% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Social contributions (% of revenue) in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +26.0% | 17.6% | 22.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.0% | 15.6% | 18.6% | 8 |
| 1980s | 18.1% | 15.2% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.4% | 17.5% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.2% | 17.4% | 19.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.1% | 16.0% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 17.3% | 20.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More public sector data for United Kingdom
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- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is social contributions in United Kingdom?
- Social contributions in United Kingdom was 17.3% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest social contributions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 22.2% in 1987.
- What is the lowest social contributions recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.2% in 1981.
- How does United Kingdom rank for social contributions?
- United Kingdom ranks 50th out of 112 countries with data for 2024.
- Is social contributions rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Social contributions (% of revenue). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Social contributions are actual or imputed contributions payable to social insurance schemes to make provisions for social benefits to be paid. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of revenue which includes all transactions that add to the amount of economic value of a unit or sector.