Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) was -6.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
-6.9%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
140th
of 156 countries
All-time high
1.1%
in 1989
All-time low
-14.8%
in 2020
Years of data
53
1972–2024

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1972–2024

-15-10-50197219982024

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is -6.9%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 1.1% in 1989 and was at its lowest, -14.8%, in 2020.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 140th of 156 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1972 to 2024.
Year % of GDP Change
1972 0.8%
1973 -0.4% -155.2%
1974 -1.0% +129.4%
1975 -3.2% +222.8%
1976 -3.4% +7.8%
1977 -2.2% -36.8%
1978 -3.8% +77.2%
1979 -3.7% -4.1%
1980 -2.6% -28.3%
1981 -3.8% +44.7%
1982 -2.0% -47.2%
1983 -2.7% +32.0%
1984 -2.6% -2.5%
1985 -1.7% -33.4%
1986 -1.7% -3.8%
1987 -1.1% -31.4%
1988 0.8% -171.6%
1989 1.1% +33.4%
1990 -0.9% -183.5%
1991 -2.3% +156.7%
1992 -6.1% +161.4%
1993 -7.5% +22.7%
1994 -6.2% -17.2%
1995 -7.0% +13.0%
1996 -5.9% -16.4%
1997 -3.8% -34.6%
1998 -2.2% -42.9%
1999 -1.4% -36.3%
2000 -1.3% -7.3%
2001 -2.0% +51.2%
2002 -4.5% +128.4%
2003 -5.9% +32.1%
2004 -5.6% -4.9%
2005 -5.4% -2.8%
2006 -5.3% -2.2%
2007 -5.2% -2.0%
2008 -7.6% +46.7%
2009 -12.5% +63.1%
2010 -6.6% -47.1%
2011 -9.6% +45.3%
2012 -9.9% +2.9%
2013 -6.6% -33.3%
2014 -6.8% +4.1%
2015 -5.6% -18.4%
2016 -3.8% -32.3%
2017 -3.4% -9.6%
2018 -3.9% +12.7%
2019 -3.5% -8.1%
2020 -14.8% +318.2%
2021 -9.2% -38.1%
2022 -5.6% -38.9%
2023 -7.0% +24.6%
2024 -6.9% -1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s -2.1% -3.8% 0.8% 8
1980s -1.6% -3.8% 1.1% 10
1990s -4.3% -7.5% -0.9% 10
2000s -5.5% -12.5% -1.3% 10
2010s -6.0% -9.9% -3.4% 10
2020s -8.7% -14.8% -5.6% 5

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 137 Nepal -5.9% compare
  2. 138 Mexico -5.9% compare
  3. 139 Togo -6.2% compare
  4. 141 United States -7.2% compare
  5. 142 Guinea-Bissau -8.0% compare
  6. 143 Mauritius -8.1% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More public sector data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was -6.9% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 1989.
What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was -14.8% in 2020.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 140th out of 156 countries with data for 2024.
Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/net-lending-net-borrowing-percent-of-gdp/united-kingdom/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/net-lending-net-borrowing-percent-of-gdp/united-kingdom/">Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 5,229 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.