UK public sector net borrowing, including banks
UK public sector net borrowing, including banks stood at -£18,268m in Aug 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Public sector finances table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Apr 1997 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Public sector finances table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borrowing and debt | |||||||||||
| Public sector net borrowing, including banks | -18,268 | -2,040 | -13,719 | -19,873 | -23,401 | -12,307 | -12,764 | 32,023 | -12,930 | -9,911 | |
| Public sector net debt, excluding banks | 2,985,531 | 2,981,989 | 2,992,469 | 2,972,575 | 2,938,225 | 2,916,811 | 2,886,876 | 2,870,360 | 2,924,529 | 2,926,310 |
Understanding UK public sector net borrowing, including banks
This aggregate records the overall financial balance of the United Kingdom public sector while explicitly incorporating the balance sheet interventions, loans and asset holdings connected to rescued banking institutions. It encompasses all central government departments, local authorities, public corporations and the specific financial sector interventions executed by authorities. It contrasts with sibling series by capturing the temporary fiscal distortions and asset purchases arising from central bank facilities and financial sector bailouts, reflecting the total cash requirement including monetary authority operations.
Evaluating this series demands caution regarding sudden shifts in financial sector liquidity operations and asset sales, which can cause large, temporary swings unrelated to ordinary government taxing and spending. Revisions can be substantial when financial sector valuations are updated or when interventions are unwound. Analysts should examine the non-bank sibling series alongside this measure to distinguish routine fiscal policy changes from banking sector interventions. Month-on-month comparisons require context regarding specific financial asset transactions rather than relying on underlying economic trends.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does this series include banking institutions?
- It accounts for the direct fiscal impact of financial stability operations and public sector rescues of commercial banks.
- How do financial sector asset sales affect the data?
- Disposals of shares or loans acquired during interventions directly reduce the recorded public sector borrowing requirement for that month.
- Does this measure reflect broader economic performance?
- Only partially, as large swings are often driven by central bank operations and financial interventions rather than tax receipts.