Councils’ net revenue expenditure, which covers the annual cost of delivering services, totalled £14,296 million. Education and Social Work accounted for the largest portions, at £6,960m and £4,604m respectively. Notably, spending on Central Services more than doubled, increasing by 103.2% (£352m), largely due to £260m in Equal Pay settlements made by Glasgow City Council.

Capital expenditure, used to build and maintain infrastructure like schools and roads, reached £3,689m. This was primarily financed through grants and contributions (£1,704m) and borrowing (£1,640m).

Councils held £4,258m in usable reserves, which is surplus income from previous years available for future spending. Due to statutory flexibility granted by ministers, local authorities received a £67m windfall related to debt repayment in 2023-24 rather than making payments, as a result of service concession flexibilities.

In summary, the figures show significant spending on core services like education and social work, a substantial rise in central service costs partly due to one-off equal pay costs, and continued investment in infrastructure. The use of reserves and unusual debt repayment flexibility has also influenced the overall financial picture.