Britain’s Quangos Uncovered: quango-state responsible for almost one third of government spending

Embargoed: 19:00 Sunday 14th September 2025

• 438 quangos received £376 billion in government funding in 2023-24, on top of £36 billion in non-governmental income.
  
  
• Quangos are now responsible for almost one in every three pounds of government spending, or £391 billion and employ almost 500,000 staff, more than the population of Cardiff.
  
  
• Reform UK deputy leader calls findings “explosive” and commits to “slashing the bloated public sector.”
  
  

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has branded Britain’s 438 quangos as the “Ministry of Quangos”, after our new quango database revealed that these bodies cost taxpayers nearly £400 billion in 2023-24, and employed almost half a million staff. 

Following the latest Labour cabinet reshuffle, the names on the doors have changed, but nearly one third of government spending remains outside day-to-day ministerial control. In 2023-24, quangos accounted for £391 billion in public expenditure out of total government spending of over £1.2 trillion. Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice MP, called the findings “explosive” and committed to “slashing the bloated public sector.”

Funding for quangos comes primarily from taxpayers, but quangos also receive additional income from fees and levies. Of a total income of £412 billion, £376 billion is government-funded. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) sponsored 41 quangos in 2023-24, making it the government department responsible for the most quangos in Whitehall. 

The soon-to-be abolished NHS England received £175 billion in government funding, making it the most expensive quango. It also received the most in non-government income at £5.9 billion. This is followed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which received £72.3 billion in government funding and HM Revenue & Customs, which received £41 billion.

Tony Blair was responsible for creating the most quangos as prime minister, setting up 92. Adjusted for the number of years served, Gordon Brown set up the most quangos, with 38 over a three year period, or an average of almost 13 per year.

As part of its “Britain’s Quangos Uncovered” campaign, the TPA will, over the coming weeks, be releasing our Quango Briefing Room which consists of extended research notes on the largest quangos by expenditure. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE BRIEFING NOTE AND DATABASE

Key findings:

• In 2023-24, 438 quangos collectively accounted for £391 billion in public expenditure. This is equivalent to 32 per cent of total managed expenditure in 2023-24.
  
  
• Quangos received £412 billion in total income in 2023-24. Of this, £376 billion was government funded income.
  
  
• In 2023-24, there were almost 500,000 staff members working in quangos.
  
  
• Gordon Brown was the prime minister that created the most quangos per year, at almost 13 for each year he was in office.
  
  
• Tony Blair created the most quangos of any prime minister at 92 in total, equivalent to 9 each year he was in office. Blair is followed by John Major with 55 and David Cameron with 54. A total of 30 prime ministers have created at least one quango. The last prime minister, in office for a full year, who did not create a new quango was Sir Anthony Eden who was in office from 1955-57.
  
  
• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport sponsors the most quangos of any department in 2023-24, at 41. It is followed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at 38 and the Ministry of Justice at 35. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE BRIEFING NOTE AND DATABASE

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:

"The recent cabinet reshuffle is little more than smoke and mirrors. However the deckchairs are rearranged, taxpayers are still stuck on the same broken ship, with an ever expanding quango state responsible for steering the course.

“The combined might of this bureaucracy dwarfs that of any single government department. Yet this ministry of quangos remains unelected and largely unaccountable to the public footing the bill.

“Ministers must get a grip on this shadow state. That means axing functions, demanding transparency, and ultimately putting quangos back under proper democratic control.”

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice MP said:

“These findings are explosive. The government is spending more on opaque quangos than on health, defence, transport and education combined with almost no accountability. This simply isn’t working for the British people.

“Only Reform will cut waste, with fewer civil servants and by slashing the bloated public sector.  We need more employment in the productive private sector to get the UK economy moving again.”

TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Media contact:

Elliot Keck
Head of Campaigns, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)

Notes to editors:

1. Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
   
   
2. TaxPayers' Alliance's research council.
   
   
3. The TPA’s quango database breaks down 438 quangos by classification, sponsoring department, description, government income, other income, total income, total expenditure, number of staff, year founded and prime minister at creation.
   
   
4. For the purposes of this dataset, a quango is defined as any non-ministerial department, public corporation, agency or other public body included in the government's 'departments, agencies and public bodies' list. The TPA previously revealed that in 2022-23 Britain’s quangos spent £343.6 billion, however this shouldn’t be directly compared to the figure used in this release due to differing methodologies.
   
   
5. This is the latest release in the TPA’s Britain’s Quangos Uncovered campaign, more information about which can be found here.