Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits was 1.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1980–2022
Source: OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 1.9% for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.5% on the previous year and down 52.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 3.9% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1990.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 26th out of 41 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 2.2% | — |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +4.5% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 2.2% | -2.5% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 2.0% | -4.2% |
| 1987 | 1.9% | -5.3% |
| 1988 | 1.9% | -1.2% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 1.8% | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | +8.2% |
| 1992 | 2.1% | +9.4% |
| 1993 | 2.1% | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -2.1% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 2.0% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.9% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | +25.2% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 2.4% | +5.0% |
| 2001 | 2.5% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 2.8% | +10.4% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 2.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 3.1% | +9.7% |
| 2008 | 3.3% | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 3.7% | +10.5% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | +6.7% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 3.5% | -4.6% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 3.3% | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 3.2% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | -6.4% |
| 2019 | 2.4% | -19.2% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | -15.0% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -8.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.4% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 2.4% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 1.9% in 2022, according to OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.9% in 2010.
- What is the lowest female employment vs. public spending on family benefits recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1990.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for female employment vs. public spending on family benefits?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 26th out of 41 countries with data for 2022.
- Is female employment vs. public spending on family benefits rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 52.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Female employment vs. public spending on family benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public social expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage. Includes both in-cash and in-kind benefits in family programs.