UK public spending, 2025-26

£1bn covers interest on the national debt for 3 days 18 hr

Interest on the national debt costs £97.6bn a year — £267m a day, or £3,093 every second.

Your £1bn is 1.0% of the annual bill

Source: ONS: central government debt interest payable 2025-26, £97.6bn. Assumes the money goes out evenly through the year.

£1bn on the clock

The same £1bn elsewhere

Budget	Lasts
The whole UK governmentruns	6 hr 27 min
The NHSruns	42 hr 58 min
The state pensionpays	2 days 12 hr
Social protection (all benefits and pensions)pays	23 hr 8 min
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