Annual Financial Return sector-level data for financial years ending in 2021
Expenditure by activity
The total expenditure of higher education providers in 2020-21 was £36 billion (£33.2 billion 2019-20).
Figure 2 and Table 2 show the breakdown of expenditure by activity. Staff costs accounted for 55 per cent of all costs in 2020-21.
Figure 2: Breakdown of total expenditure at English higher education providers 2020-21
Table 2: Breakdown of total expenditure at English higher education providers 2019-20 and 2020-21, £ million
| Expenditure activity | 2019-20 £M | 2020-21 £M |
|---|---|---|
| Staff costs | 17,001 | 19,960 |
| Restructuring costs | 143 | 80 |
| Other operating expenses | 12,789 | 12,786 |
| Depreciation and amortisation | 2,413 | 2,533 |
| Interest and other finance costs | 844 | 679 |
| Total expenditure | 33,189 | 36,038 |
Total figures may not appear to be the sum of their parts due to rounding
Balance sheet position
Table 3: Balance sheet position at English higher education providers 2019-20 and 2020-21, £ million
| Balance sheet extract | 2019-20 £M | 2020-21 £M |
|---|---|---|
| Total non-current assets | 63,990 | 67,236 |
| Total current assets | 18,687 | 21,944 |
| Total creditors (amounts falling due within one year) | 11,482 | 13,364 |
| Net current assets | 7,204 | 8,577 |
| Total creditors (amounts falling due after more than one year) | 16,430 | 16,670 |
| Total net assets | 40,209 | 44,849 |
Cash flow position
Table 4: Cash flow position at English higher education providers 2019-20 and 2020-21, £ million
| Cash flow extract | 2019-20 £M | 2020-21 £M |
|---|---|---|
| Net cash inflow from operating activities | 3,037 | 5,009 |
| Increase in cash and cash equivalents in the year | 1,856 | 2,252 |
Published 30 June 2022
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