Natural History Museum: where does the money come from?
The Natural History Museum had income of £187m in the year to March 2026, and 63% of it was government grant-in-aid. It welcomed 7,526,000 visitors.
What does the Natural History Museum do?
The Natural History Museum runs a public museum in South Kensington, London, and a second site at Tring in Hertfordshire. Alongside the galleries it is a scientific research centre, and its specimen collections, library and data are used by researchers worldwide. It is funded by government grant-in-aid with free general admission, while paid exhibitions, shops, venue hire, corporate partnerships, membership and donations bring in its own income.
In brief: natural history museum · science research centre · free entry, paid exhibitions · London and Tring
Source: the Natural History Museum's own website, retrieved 27 September 2026.
Where does the Natural History Museum's money come from?
Government grant-in-aid brought in £119m, 63% of the total. The rest, £68m, came from what the Natural History Museum earns and raises itself: admissions, shops and catering, donations and other income.
- Government grant-in-aid £119m 63%
- Admissions and exhibitions £10m 5%
- Shops, catering and commercial £33m 18%
- Donations and legacies £8m 4%
- Other income £17m 9%
What did the Natural History Museum spend, and what is it worth?
| Measure | Mar 2026 | Previous year |
|---|---|---|
| Total income | £187m | £156m |
| Total spending | £129m | |
| Net income before gains | £58m | |
| Staff costs | £60m | |
| Staff | 1,029 | |
| Net assets | £807m | |
| Cash | £47m | |
| Visitors | 7,526,000 | |
| Income per visitor | £24.86 | |
| Grant-in-aid per visitor | £15.77 |
Net income is before investment gains and property revaluations. For a charity it is the surplus kept for the collection and buildings, not a profit paid out.
- Legal form
- Exempt charity (Part 3, Charities Act 2011) and non-departmental public body sponsored by DCMS, established under the British Museum Act 1963
- Sites
- Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London, Natural History Museum at Tring, Hertfordshire, NHM Science and Digitisation Centre, Thames Valley Science Park, Reading (under construction), Collection storage, Wandsworth, London
- Trading company
- The Natural History Museum Trading Company Ltd (02909192)
- Latest accounts
- Year to 31 March 2026
Natural History Museum: common questions
How much money does the Natural History Museum get from the government?
£119m of grant-in-aid in the year to March 2026, 63% of its total income of £187m.
How much does the Natural History Museum spend?
£129m in the year to March 2026, of which staff costs were £60m.
How many people visit the Natural History Museum?
7,526,000 in the year to March 2026 (Total number of visitors, South Kensington and Tring, 2025-26 (performance indicator stated in thousands; 6,596k in 2024-25)), according to its annual report.
Why isn't the Natural History Museum on the Companies House register?
The Natural History Museum is exempt charity (Part 3, Charities Act 2011) and non-departmental public body sponsored by DCMS, established under the British Museum Act 1963, so it publishes its accounts in an annual report rather than filing them at Companies House. Its trading company, The Natural History Museum Trading Company Ltd, does file there.
Spark Intel, “Natural History Museum: where does the money come from?”, updated 28 September 2026. https://www.spark-intel.co.uk/companies/natural-history-museum/. Figures from Natural History Museum's annual report and accounts for the year to 31 March 2026.
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