Clients seeking financial advice from the debt charity StepChange in the United Kingdom had on average approximately ***** British pounds of unsecured credit card debt in 2022. On average, the new clients of this charity owed more unsecured debt from personal loans than from any other type of credit.

In 2025, students graduating from English universities will have incurred an average of 53,000 British pounds of student loan debt, compared with 39,000 pounds in Wales, 28,000 pounds in Northern Ireland, and around 18,000 pounds in Scotland.

The UK's average credit card debt per household grew by *** British pounds between December 2021 and December 2022, the first increase since 2020. Standing at ***** British pounds at December 2022, the figure contrasts with the decline in 2020 – when the debt declined from ***** British pounds to ***** British pounds. That particular drop was likely a result of Covid-19's economic impact, and consumers trying to get rid of their credit card debt. The increase in 2022 may be caused by growing interest rates and the cost of living crisis beginning to take shape.

In the 4th quarter of 2024, the debt of households in the United Kingdom amounted to ***** percent of their income. This indicator shows the average level of indebtedness of the general population and their ability to repay their debts. The total value of household debt (total liabilities and loans to households) has increased annually since 2000. Debt to income ratio increased during the pandemic As we have seen here, households have been decreasing their indebtedness levels in the past years. However, the volume of new consumer lending actually soared between 2022 and 2024. Meanwhile, the growth rate of mortgages in the UK has remained lower these past years, but it has also shown an increase on amount of lending.

Indebtedness in Europe The household debt of many countries in Europe as a share of their disposable income in 2024 was over 100 percent. That was mostly the case for Northern and Western European countries, such as Norway, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Germany and Austria were some of the largest exceptions, as they were among the few countries in that part of Europe with households' debt representing less than ** percent of their income.

In the first half of 2024, the total value of debt from loans to households in the United Kingdom amounted to approximately ************ British pounds. It was in 2004, when household debt surpassed the ************ British pounds mark. Debts can be formed in a number of ways. The most common forms of debt for households include credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

Household debt to GDP, in percent in the United Kingdom, March, 2025 The most recent value is 75.9 percent as of March 2025, a decline compared to the previous value of 76.3 percent. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from March 1999 to March 2025 is 84.8 percent. The minimum of 60.6 percent was recorded in March 1999, while the maximum of 98.2 percent was reached in March 2010. | TheGlobalEconomy.com

The average credit card purchase value in the United Kingdom was over ***British pounds as of August 2025. This was slightly lower than in the same month of the previous year and lower than in January 2023, when it reached an all-time high, with each individual credit card transaction averaging **** British pounds. This contrasted with April 2020, when coronavirus measures caused the average credit card value to decline. However, the total credit card debt in the UK in June 2025 grew almost six percent year-on-year.

Data on average personal wellbeing scores of the adult population in Great Britain from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, broken down by responses to financial well-being questions.

United Kingdom UK: Central Government Debt: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 116.856 % in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 106.728 % for 2015. United Kingdom UK: Central Government Debt: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 44.132 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2016, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 116.856 % in 2016 and a record low of 29.195 % in 1991. United Kingdom UK: Central Government Debt: Total: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Government Revenue, Expenditure and Finance. Debt is the entire stock of direct government fixed-term contractual obligations to others outstanding on a particular date. It includes domestic and foreign liabilities such as currency and money deposits, securities other than shares, and loans. It is the gross amount of government liabilities reduced by the amount of equity and financial derivatives held by the government. Because debt is a stock rather than a flow, it is measured as of a given date, usually the last day of the fiscal year.; ; International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; Weighted average;

This dataset provides values for GOVERNMENT DEBT TO GDP reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

Underlying data from annex B for the report that uses data from the YouGov DebtTrack surveys to update trend information about credit use and the extent of consumer indebtedness in Britain. The analysis suggests a continued decrease in the proportion of households using unsecured credit, but little change in the average amount of unsecured debt among credit users. The data also indicated a decline in the incidence of financial difficulty.

A rolling 12 months of debtor days information broken down by month and providing a measure of the average time taken for debts to be paid.

United Kingdom Gilt Yield: Avg: DMO: Short Term: 5 Years data was reported at 1.131 % pa in Oct 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.115 % pa for Sep 2018. United Kingdom Gilt Yield: Avg: DMO: Short Term: 5 Years data is updated monthly, averaging 3.907 % pa from Apr 1998 (Median) to Oct 2018, with 247 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.350 % pa in Jan 2000 and a record low of 0.214 % pa in Aug 2016. United Kingdom Gilt Yield: Avg: DMO: Short Term: 5 Years data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Debt Management Office. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.M012: Gilt Yield: UK Debt Management Office (DMO).

The value of debt per adult in the United Kingdom (UK) fluctuated between 2010 and 2021, peaking at roughly **** thousand U.S. dollars in 2013. As of 2021, the average debt per adult in the UK reached a value of ****** U.S. dollars.

The World Bank International Debt Statistics (previosuly Global Development Finance) contains more debt and financial flows indicators for countries that report public and publicly-guaranteed debt to the World Bank Debtor Reporting System. The database runs from 1970 onwards and covers external debt stocks and flows, major economic aggregates and key debt ratios as well as average terms of new commitments, currency composition of long-term debt, debt restructuring and scheduled debt service projections.

These data were first provided by the UK Data Service in February 2004. total debt stockstotal debt flowsstock-flow reconciliationresource flowslong-term debtdebt outstanding and disburseddisbursementsprincipal repaymentsnet flowsinterest paymentsnet transfers on debtdebt serviceundisbursed debtrestructuring debtdebt ratiosmacroeconomic aggregatescurrency composition of long-term debtaverage terms of new commitments

Key information about European Union Government Debt: % of GDP

• European Union Government debt accounted for 81.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2025, compared with the ratio of 81.5 % in the previous quarter.
• EU government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2000 to Jun 2025.
• The data reached an all-time high of 709.6 % in Jun 2020 and a record low of -41,680.0 % in Oct 2025.

• In the latest reports, EU National Government Debt reached 17,710.7 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 5,301.1 USD bn in Jun 2025.

Daily, weekly and monthly data showing seasonally adjusted and non-seasonally adjusted UK spending using debit and credit cards. These are official statistics in development. Source: CHAPS, Bank of England.