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England · county councils · 2024-25

West Sussex County Council budget and spending

West Sussex County Council had net current service expenditure of £1.6bn in 2024-25. By total budget it is 7th highest of 21 county councils.

Net service spending, 2024-25
£1.6bn
Rank by total budget
7th
of 21 county councils

This is the council budget only (net current service expenditure). NHS, pensions, Universal Credit and debt interest are not included. In two-tier counties, education and social care sit with the county, not the district.

Where West Sussex Council spends its money

West Sussex County Council spending by service, 2024-25
  • Education£741.4m

    45.8% of the budget

  • Adult social care£363.0m

    22.4% of the budget

  • Children's social care£219.5m

    13.6% of the budget

  • Environment£83.1m

    5.1% of the budget

  • Highways and transport£67.3m

    4.2% of the budget

  • Public health£46.2m

    2.9% of the budget

  • Fire£41.6m

    2.6% of the budget

  • Central and other£27.2m

    1.7% of the budget

  • Culture£12.6m

    0.8% of the budget

  • Planning£10.0m

    0.6% of the budget

  • Housing£6.0m

    0.4% of the budget

County councils run social care, education, highways and libraries across several districts, so they are only compared with other counties.

Councils with similar budgets

West Sussex County Council: common questions

How much does West Sussex County Council spend?

West Sussex County Council had net current service expenditure of £1.6bn in 2024-25. This is the council budget only: it excludes NHS spending, pensions, Universal Credit and debt interest.

What does West Sussex County Council spend most on?

Education is the largest service line at £741.4m, 45.8% of the 2024-25 budget.

How much of West Sussex County Council's budget goes on social care?

Adult and children's social care together take 36.0% of net service spending in 2024-25.