UK public spending, 2025-26
£1bn pays the state pension for 2 days 12 hr
The state pension costs £145.6bn a year — £399m a day, or £4,614 every second.
Your £1bn is 0.687% of the annual bill
The same £1bn elsewhere
| Budget | Lasts |
|---|---|
| The whole UK governmentruns | 6 hr 27 min |
| The NHSruns | 42 hr 58 min |
| 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 |