UK credit card balances
UK credit card balances stood at £83,329m in Aug 2026, according to Bank of England. It is one of the indicators in the Bank lending table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Mar 1993 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Bank lending table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total lending to individuals | 1,990,363 | 1,984,135 | 1,978,711 | 1,970,127 | 1,966,938 | 1,962,114 | 1,953,962 | 1,947,487 | 1,941,362 | 1,935,454 | |
| Consumer credit | 259,496 | 257,761 | 256,551 | 255,059 | 253,456 | 252,051 | 250,551 | 249,338 | 247,800 | 246,207 | |
| Credit card balances | 83,329 | 82,409 | 81,723 | 80,051 | 79,617 | 79,785 | 79,372 | 78,856 | 78,226 | 77,705 |
Understanding UK credit card balances
Monetary financial institutions compile outstanding credit card debt balances owed by individuals across the United Kingdom, reflecting revolving credit extended through plastic cards and digital equivalents. This specific slice of unsecured lending isolates revolving credit lines where cardholders can borrow, repay, and re-borrow up to an approved limit, distinguishing it from term loans with fixed repayment schedules. It excludes store card balances issued exclusively by non-bank retail chains and corporate credit cards used strictly for business expenses.
Reading these revolving balances requires accounting for the proportion of cardholders who clear their entire balance monthly versus those who carry debt forward and incur interest. Seasonal surges in retail turnover heavily distort unadjusted figures, necessitating the use of seasonally adjusted series for accurate short-term monitoring. Analysts frequently compare card balance trajectories with broader retail sales indicators to assess the role of revolving credit in household expenditure.
Frequently asked questions
- What borrowing instruments are measured within this category?
- The data track revolving credit card balances held by individuals with UK monetary financial institutions.
- Does this series include corporate or business credit cards?
- Corporate credit cards assigned to business accounts are excluded, as this dataset focuses exclusively on household sector liabilities.
- How does repayment behaviour affect the interpretation of these figures?
- Total balances reflect both active borrowing and the proportion of cardholders clearing their statements in full each month to avoid interest charges.