Spending review winners and losers: How each department fares
The spending review sets out how government budgets will grow by an overall average of 2.3% per year across the period 2023/24 to 2028/29 – but this figure masks some sharp differences between departments.
While health, education and defence are all set to see an average rise in spending, the Home Office and the Foreign Office will see their budgets fall.
Here is a list of how each department fares, according to figures published by the Treasury, starting with those areas with the largest increases.
All percentages represent average annual growth in real terms – in other words, adjusted for inflation.
– Energy Security & Net Zero
The total departmental budget, excluding costs related to Sizewell C, is planned to rise by an average of 16.0% per year across the period 2023/24 to 2028/29, and up by a smaller average of 2.7% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
The total departmental budget for Sizewell C grows by an average of 15.6% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29, but falls by an average of 3.7% from 2025/26 to 2028/29, reflecting a planned drop in spending from £3.2 billion in 2027/28 to £2.5 billion in 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending by the department (also known as resource spending) is set to grow by a much smaller average of just 0.5% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Business & Trade
The total budget is planned to grow by an average of 5.8% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by 3.0% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
However, day-to-day spending is set to fall by an average of 1.8% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Housing, Communities & Local Government
Total spending just on local government is planned to rise by an annual average of 5.2% from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and by 1.1% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
The total departmental budget is set to rise by an average of 3.0% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29, but fall by 0.6% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending by the department is planned to fall by an average per year of 1.4% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Defence
The total departmental budget is set to rise by an annual average of 3.6% from 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by 3.8% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending is planned to increase by the smaller average of 0.7% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Health & Social Care
The total budget for the department is planned to grow by 2.8% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and by 2.7% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending on NHS England is planned to rise by an average of 3.0% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Science, Innovation & Technology
The total budget is set to rise by an average of 2.8% per year across the period 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by the smaller amount of 0.9% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending is set to rise by an average of 7.4% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Work & Pensions
The budget is planned to grow by an annual average of 2.1% across 2023/24 to 2028/29, but is set to fall by an average of 0.2% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending rises by an average of 0.4% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Education
The total departmental budget is set to rise by an average of 1.5% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by 0.8% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending rises by an annual average of 0.7% for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Scottish Government
The total budget rises by an average of 1.1% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and by 0.8% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending grows by an average of 0.8% per year for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– HMRC
The department's total budget grows by an average of 0.6% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29, but falls by an average of 1.5% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending rises by an annual average of 0.7% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Welsh Government
The annual budget grows by an average of 0.6% from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and by 0.7% from 2025/26 to 2028/29
Day-to-day spending grows by an average of 0.9% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Northern Ireland Executive
The budget rises by an average of 0.5% per year from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and also by 0.5% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending grows by an average of 0.4% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Culture, Media & Sport
The total departmental budget is planned to fall by an annual average of 0.2% across the period of 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by a larger 1.4% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending drops by an annual average of 1.2% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Transport
Excluding costs related to HS2, the total budget is set to fall by an average of 0.4% per year for the period 2023/24 to 2028/29, but rises by 0.5% per year for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Spending on HS2 falls by an average of 8.6% per year for 2023/24 to 2028/29, and drops by 9.3% for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending by the department is set to fall by an average of 5.0% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
The total budget drops by an annual average of 0.7% from 2023/24 to 2028/29 and falls by 2.3% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending is set to fall by an average of 2.7% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Home Office
The department's total budget is planned to fall by an annual average of 2.2% for the period 2023/24 to 2028/29, and down by 1.4% for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending by the Home Office is set to fall by an average of 1.7% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29; when excluding forecast costs on asylum, this figure rises by by an average of 0.4% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Core spending by the police is planned to rise by an average of 2.3% per year across 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by 1.7% for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
– Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
The total budget is set to drop by an annual average of 5.0% from 2023/24 to 2028/29, and by the larger annual average of 8.3% from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
Day-to-day spending is set to drop by an average of 6.9% per year from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
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