Debt is only part of the picture. Here is a wider set of indicators, each showing which way it has moved lately.
The arrows show which way each figure has been moving recently, not whether that movement is good or bad. A rising tax burden or falling inflation can be read different ways depending on your view. This site shows the direction. The judgement is yours.
94% of GDP
Net debt measured against the size of the economy. Down 0.7 percentage points on a year earlier and at levels last seen in the early 1960s; over the past twelve months the ratio has stayed between 92% and 95% (October 2025 to September 2026, series HF6X: low 92.2% in January, high 94.5% in November and June).
4.4% of GDP
Annual public sector net borrowing relative to the economy. The published outturn ratio for the financial year ending March 2026, on borrowing of £134.2bn: the ONS annual alignment of September 2026 revised the year up from £129.8bn to £134.3bn, and the September 2026 release (published 21 October 2026) trimmed it by £0.1bn. Down from 5.1% the year before.
Source: ONS, Public sector finances, UK: September 2026 (series J5IJ, dataset PUSF). .
3.6% of GDP
The cost of servicing debt, relative to the economy. About £110 billion a year.
Source: OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2026. .
36.3% of GDP
Total taxes as a share of the economy. Forecast to keep rising to the highest level since records began in 1948.
Source: OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2026. .
£1,226 billion per year
Total money the government receives, mostly from taxes. Derived by this site as spending minus borrowing until a published total replaces it, so a revision to borrowing moves this figure too.
£1,360 billion per year
Total money the government spends on services, benefits, investment, and debt interest.
Source: HM Treasury, PESA 2026, Table 1.1, total managed expenditure, 2025-26 outturn. .
3.5% per year
The rate at which consumer prices are rising over the year. Rose to 3.5% in September, up from 3.1% the month before.
Source: ONS, Consumer price inflation, UK: September 2026. .
4.7% of workforce
The share of people who want to work and are looking for a job but cannot find one. June to August 2026, down 0.1 percentage points on both the year and the previous quarter.
Source: ONS, Labour market overview, UK: October 2026 (series MGSX). .
1.1% per year
How fast the economy is growing, after adjusting for inflation. The 2026 forecast, down from 1.4% in 2025.
Source: OBR, Economic and Fiscal Outlook March 2026 (real GDP growth forecast for calendar year 2026). .
0.5% growth per year
How much is produced per hour worked, against a year earlier. Weak productivity growth limits how fast tax revenue can rise.
| Indicator | Latest | Trend | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt as a share of GDP | 94 % of GDP | stable | provisional |
| Borrowing as a share of GDP | 4.4 % of GDP | falling | provisional |
| Debt interest | 3.6 % of GDP | rising | provisional |
| Inflation (CPI) | 3.5 % per year | rising | official |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7 % of workforce | falling | provisional |
| GDP growth | 1.1 % per year | stable | estimated |
| Productivity (output per hour) | 0.5 % growth per year | stable | provisional |
| Tax burden | 36.3 % of GDP | rising | estimated |
| Government revenue | 1,226 £ billion per year | rising | calculated |
| Government spending | 1,360 £ billion per year | rising | estimated |