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.

Total credit card debt in the UK grew by over ****billion British pounds between March and April 2025, now reaching a similar level of debt as seen in early 2020. The annual growth rate of credit card debt stayed about the same in April 2025, reaching *** percent when compared to aApril 2024. The growth rate in 2024 has been decreasing until 2025 where it started to increase again, which may potentially be attributed to growing interest rates and the cost of living crisis.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Over the five years through 2025-26, Credit Bureaux and Rating Agencies’ revenue growth is slated to grow at a compound annual rate of 0.9% to £3 billion. The industry has had to navigate a changing environment with the Bank of England raising interest rates over the two years through 2023-24, a sharp contrast to the ultra-low levels seen over the decade previously. The past five years have been turbulent, with weak economic conditions impeding revenue. Low confidence and the high interest rate environment have meant there’s been less borrowing across the economy over the past few years, resulting in a drop in demand for the services credit rating agencies provide. M&A activity has also left much to be desired, with the divergence between buying and selling prices denting exit volumes in 2023-24. Despite conditions remaining bleak as inflation proves sticky and rates come down slower than expected, lending activity is positioned for a modest recovery over the two years through 2025-26. Increasingly favourable economic conditions, interest rate cuts and an upturn in deal-making are expected to stimulate borrowing. This will feed through to higher demand for credit rating services, as lenders require credit checks prior to approving loans, contributing revenue growth of 4.6% in 2025-26. Over the five years through 2030-31, revenue is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 3.8% to reach £3.7 billion. Mounting demand for ESG rating services, which have been brought in by a number of major rating agencies, will be a key driver of this growth. Larger players like Moody’s and Fitch will continue to leverage their extensive data and model credit risk more accurately. Credit rating agencies will also navigate an evolving regulatory environment, most notably the introduction of the Basel III reforms in January 2027, reducing the risk margin and aiding lending activity.

SME - Synthetic UK Businesses financial statistics

Contains the financial and basic information about the 1000 small and medium enterprises in the UK. It contains attributes as far-reaching as the profit and losses of the entities and even their credit scores. It can be used to analyze the survival and success prediction of the enterprise.

This sample data is part of the statistically accurate representation of the UK economy that can be found at https://nayaone.com/digital-twin/. Our mission is democratization and quality data governance in areas where the lack of data is a major hurdle for innovation and progress. To learn more, contact us: contact@nayaone.com

Content

All the Synthetic datasets have been generated with programmatic stimulation to represent the real-world data. Description of the datasets are as follows: - Account Receivable: Funds that customers owe your company for products or services that have been invoiced. - Businesses: List of enterprises and their information - Covid: Financial stats of the companies during the pandemic waves - Credit Account History: History of a credit account and usage of - Credit Card History: History of the credit card usage and debt amount of an enterprise - Credit Rating: credit rating of listed businesses which is a quantified assessment of the creditworthiness of a borrower in general terms or with respect to a financial obligation. - Director: UK Individual who is on the Director position in companies listed in Businesses - Factoring: Financial transaction and a type of debtor finance in which a business sells its accounts receivable to a third party at a discount. - Individual: UK Individuals information - Loan: Information of the paid and unpaid Loans by the enterprise

Acknowledgements

The real data stats used to generate synthetic data are mainly gathered from the ONS, Public datasets and Known statistics.

Inspiration

This data can be used to train Machine learning models for better accuracy.

Debt collection agencies have operated in a high-demand but compliance-heavy environment in recent years. Surging energy and credit arrears, persistent business insolvencies and tighter conduct rules have defined the market. The Insolvency Service reported that 23,872 companies became insolvent in 2024, while Ofgem stated that domestic energy arrears reached £3.9 billion in the same year, both fuelling the flow of unpaid accounts to collection agencies. These trends have supported workloads across the business, consumer and utility markets, but recovery rates have slowed thanks to mounting regulatory pressures – collectors must now prioritise fair treatment and affordability checks under the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Consumer Duty. Still, over the five years through 2025-26, revenue is projected to climb at a compound annual rate of 2.4% to reach £2 billion, including a forecast rise 0.9%of in 2025-26. Profit has also inched up thanks to falling energy prices and automation reducing running costs, though increases in wages, business rates and compliance spending have limited margin growth. Digitalisation has become essential to maintaining profitability and meeting regulatory standards. Agencies are integrating open banking and Pay by Bank tools that enable real-time income verification and instant repayments. Open Banking Ltd reported 130 million open banking payments in 2023, almost double the prior year, highlighting how this technology is transforming collection processes. These innovations directly affect the industry’s operating model by cutting card fees, reducing failed payments and evidencing fair outcomes for regulators. Large debt collection companies such as Lowell, Cabot Credit Management and Arrow Global have restructured debt and consolidated systems to fund automation projects and remain competitive. Their actions reflect a broader industry shift towards scale and efficiency, where compliance capability and digital capacity determine an agencies’ competitiveness. Looking ahead, easing inflation and steadier employment are expected to improve repayment capacity in the coming years, supporting gradual revenue gains. Over the five years through 2030-31, revenue is slated to mount at a compound annual rate of 2.5% to reach £2.3 billion. However, rising regulatory scrutiny and possible government oversight of enforcement practices may necessitate heavier investment in governance and data protection. These measures will raise costs but enhance consumer trust and contract stability, favouring agencies that can combine compliance assurance with automation. Companies that leverage technology to balance empathy with efficiency will be best placed to grow in a maturing, tightly regulated market.

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.

The number of times a person in the United Kingdom used a credit card for payments declined by roughly ** percent in 2020 but nearly recovered by 2021. Unlike the same figure for debit cards, the recorded credit payments in 2020 were lower than in the years leading up to COVID-19. This coincides with a trend in the UK of paying off credit card debt during lockdown.

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Debt Collection Software Market Size 2025-2029

The debt collection software market size is valued to increase by USD 3.01 billion, at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2024 to 2029. Rise in non-performing loans (NPLs) will drive the debt collection software market.

Market Insights

APAC dominated the market and accounted for a 43% growth during the 2025-2029.
By Deployment - On-premises segment was valued at USD 3.01 billion in 2023
By Industry Application - Small and medium enterprises segment accounted for the largest market revenue share in 2023

Market Size & Forecast

Market Opportunities: USD 89.16 million 
Market Future Opportunities 2024: USD 3009.80 million
CAGR from 2024 to 2029 : 8.8%

Market Summary

The market witnesses significant growth due to the increasing incidence of non-performing loans (NPLs) worldwide. Businesses across industries are turning to advanced technologies to streamline their debt collection processes and mitigate financial losses. One real-world scenario involves a global manufacturing company aiming to optimize its supply chain by reducing outstanding debts. By implementing a robust debt collection software solution, the company can automate communication with debtors, integrate credit risk assessment tools, and implement workflow automation to expedite the collection process. The integration of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), is a key trend in the market. These technologies enable predictive analytics, allowing businesses to identify potential debtors at risk and proactively engage with them. Furthermore, cloud-based solutions offer scalability and flexibility, enabling businesses to manage their debt collection operations more efficiently. Despite the benefits, the high cost of debt collection software remains a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, as competition intensifies and regulatory requirements become more stringent, investing in a comprehensive debt collection solution becomes increasingly essential for businesses to maintain financial health and operational efficiency.

What will be the size of the Debt Collection Software Market during the forecast period?

Get Key Insights on Market Forecast (PDF) Request Free SampleThe market continues to evolve, offering advanced solutions to streamline regulatory compliance checks, customer relationship management, dispute resolution process, and payment schedule optimization for businesses. One significant trend in this market is the integration of automated collection letters, payment reminder systems, and collection agency interfaces, enabling collection team productivity and call tracking. These tools have proven effective in improving collection efficiency, reducing payment processing fees, and enhancing debt recovery strategies. For instance, companies have reported a 25% increase in recovery rates by implementing automated dunning processes and advanced reporting features. Furthermore, debt portfolio analysis, account reconciliation tools, and risk mitigation strategies have become essential components of debt collection software, ensuring payment plan management and legal hold management are seamlessly integrated. Additionally, fraud detection systems and legal case management tools provide an extra layer of security, safeguarding against data breaches and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations. By investing in these solutions, businesses can optimize their collection agency workflow, improve customer communication channels, and ultimately boost their bottom line.

Unpacking the Debt Collection Software Market Landscape

In the debt collection industry, businesses increasingly leverage advanced software solutions to streamline operations, optimize strategies, and ensure regulatory compliance. One key area of focus is credit bureau integration, which enables real-time access to consumer credit information for informed collection decisions. Another critical aspect is collection strategy optimization, resulting in a 15% increase in recovery rates on average. Additionally, regulatory compliance modules and reporting tools help align with legal requirements, reducing potential penalties and fines by up to 20%. Predictive analytics models and risk assessment scoring further enhance debt recovery platforms, enabling early warning systems to identify and address delinquent accounts before they escalate. Furthermore, customer data security, payment gateway integration, and financial institution integration ensure secure transactions and improved customer experience. Other essential features include audit trail logging, legal compliance features, dunning letter generation, agent performance tracking, accounts receivable automation, debt portfolio management, payment processing integration, and collection agency software. Overall, these s

The number of credit card transactions in the Republic of Ireland grew to nearly ****** per capita, which equaled several millions of transactions. Up to 2024, the trend of declining credit card payments was similar to what was seen elsewhere in Europe. In the United Kingdom, for example, UK consumers started to pay off credit card debt during lockdown. Note that card figures are not as easily measured in all countries. See the "Details" tab for more information.

Credit card payments in Mexico declined by nearly ********** in 2020 but recovered significantly in 2021. This led to the per capita count to increase to **** in 2021. The trend of declining credit card payments is similar to what was seen elsewhere in Europe. In the United Kingdom, for example, UK consumers started to pay off credit card debt during lockdown. Cash is Mexico's most used payment method in POS since COVID-19, although the market share of credit cards did increase since 2020.

Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway were among the European countries with most indebted households in 2023 and 2024. The debt of Dutch households amounted to *** percent their disposable income in the 2nd quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, Norwegian households' debt represented *** percent of their income in the 3rd quarter of 2023. However, households in most countries were less indebted, with that ratio amounting to ** percent in the Euro area. Less indebtedness in Western and Northern Europe There were several European countries where household's debts outweighed their disposable income. Most of those countries were North or West European. However, the indebtedness ratio in Denmark has been decreasing during the past decade. As the debt of Danish households represented nearly *** percent in the last quarter of 2014, which has fallen very significantly by 2024. Other countries with indebted households have been following similar trends. The households' debt-to-income ratio in the Netherlands has also fallen from over *** percent in 2013 to *** percent in 2024. Debt per adult in Europe In Europe, the value of debt per adult varies considerably from an average of around 10,000 U.S. dollars in Europe to a much higher level in certain countries such as Switzerland. Debts can be formed in a number of ways. The most common forms of debt include credit cards, medical debt, student loans, overdrafts, mortgages, automobile financing and personal loans.

Hungarian consumers performed roughly ***** credit card payments per capita in 2024, a notable increase when compared to 2020. This according to estimates based off credit card figures from the country's central bank. No information is provided why this number went down in the country during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Arguably, this could coincide with a trend in the UK of paying off credit card debt during lockdown.

Credit card payments in Romania declined by nearly *** million between 2019 and 2020. This lead to the per capita count to decrease to **** in 2020. As of 2024, the per capita count has increased to ****. The trend of declining credit card payments is similar to what is seen elsewhere in Europe. In the United Kingdom, for example, UK consumers started to pay off credit card debt during lockdown.

United Kingdom UK: Non Financial Corporations: Liabilities: Debt: Trade Credit data was reported at 0.000 GBP mn in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 GBP mn for 2014. United Kingdom UK: Non Financial Corporations: Liabilities: Debt: Trade Credit data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 GBP mn from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2015, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 117,710.000 GBP mn in 2005 and a record low of 0.000 GBP mn in 2015. United Kingdom UK: Non Financial Corporations: Liabilities: Debt: Trade Credit data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.IMF.FSI: Sectoral Financial Statement: Balance Sheet: Annual.

Argentinian consumers performed roughly ** credit card payments per capita in 2022, a slight increase from 2022. This according to estimates based off credit card figures from the country's central bank. No information is provided why this number went down in the South American country during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Arguably, this could coincide with a trend in the UK of paying off credit card debt during lockdown.