UK public spending, 2025-26

£1bn runs the whole UK government for 6 hr 27 min

The whole UK government costs £1.36tn a year — £3.72bn a day, or £43,096 every second.

Your £1bn is 0.074% of the annual bill

Source: ONS Public sector finances, 2025-26 total managed expenditure (~£1.36tn). Assumes the money goes out evenly through the year.

£1bn on the clock

The same £1bn elsewhere

Budget	Lasts
The NHSruns	42 hr 58 min
The state pensionpays	2 days 12 hr
Social protection (all benefits and pensions)pays	23 hr 8 min
Interest on the national debtcovers	3 days 18 hr
Schools and educationruns	3 days 20 hr
Defence (day-to-day)runs	9 days 9 hr
The deficitplugs	2 days 20 hr
HMRC's takematches	9 hr 20 min
The monarchy (Sovereign Grant)runs	7.6 years