Scotland's deficit at £26.5bn as North Sea revenue drops
Public sector revenue in Scotland was estimated at £91.4 bn, accounting for 8% of UK revenue. Of this, £4.1bn came from the North Sea – down from £4.9bn in 2023/24 – as energy prices and production fell.
Non-North Sea revenue increased by £2.2bn (2.5%) to £87.3bn, with growth in income tax partially offset by a drop in National Insurance contributions.
Total public sector expenditure in Scotland reached £117.6bn, up £6.1bn (5.5%) on the previous year. The increase was driven by higher spending on health and social protection, including the Scottish Child Payment. That represented 9.2% of total UK public spending.
Finance Secretary Shona Robison said:
'The decisions we have taken here in Scotland are helping support sustainable public finances. For the fourth year in a row, devolved revenues have grown faster than devolved expenditure.
'Scotland's public finances are better than many other parts of the UK, with the third highest revenue per person in the UK, behind only London and the South East.
'The GERS statistics reflect only the current constitutional arrangements – of Scotland as part of the UK – and not an independent Scotland with its own policy, decisions on defence spending and the economy.
'GERS allocates Scotland a population share of reserved UK spending rather than accounting for real expenditure. For example, UK defence expenditure is listed as £5.1 billion, but only £2.1 billion was actually spent with industry in Scotland in 2023-24.
'Being taken out of the EU, against the will of the people of Scotland, has also hit Scotland's revenues by £2.3 billion and the higher cost of UK government debt adds £500 million to the deficit.
'Falling oil prices and a decrease in extraction present challenges going forward, but we are clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland's valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments and energy security.'
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