UK public spending, 2025-26

£1tn covers interest on the national debt for 10.2 years

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

Your £1tn is 1024.6% of the annual bill

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

£1tn on the clock

The same £1tn elsewhere

Budget	Lasts
The whole UK governmentruns	38 weeks
The NHSruns	4.9 years
The state pensionpays	6.9 years
Social protection (all benefits and pensions)pays	2.6 years
Schools and educationruns	10.5 years
Defence (day-to-day)runs	25.6 years
The deficitplugs	7.8 years
HMRC's takematches	55 weeks
The monarchy (Sovereign Grant)runs	7570.0 years