Central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Central government debt, total was 130.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1990–2024
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 130.7%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 4.0% on the previous year and down 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 194.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 29.2%, in 1991.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2nd out of 83 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 30.2% | — |
| 1991 | 29.2% | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 30.4% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 35.3% | +16.2% |
| 1994 | 40.5% | +14.6% |
| 1995 | 88.2% | +117.9% |
| 1996 | 87.2% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 88.2% | +1.2% |
| 1998 | 90.1% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 87.3% | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 87.3% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 84.0% | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 86.2% | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 86.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 90.2% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 91.9% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 91.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 93.4% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 104.8% | +12.3% |
| 2009 | 122.9% | +17.2% |
| 2010 | 130.5% | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 143.1% | +9.7% |
| 2012 | 146.4% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 141.0% | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 149.6% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 147.1% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 155.6% | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 160.1% | +2.9% |
| 2018 | 156.8% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 159.0% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 194.7% | +22.5% |
| 2021 | 183.8% | -5.6% |
| 2022 | 138.2% | -24.8% |
| 2023 | 136.1% | -1.5% |
| 2024 | 130.7% | -4.0% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 130.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 61.2%, 2.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 130.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 44.0%, 3.0× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +117.9% | 40.5% | 88.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.7% | 29.2% | 90.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 93.9% | 84.0% | 122.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 148.9% | 130.5% | 160.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 156.7% | 130.7% | 194.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 86.93 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0217 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,251 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 76.63 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 691.49 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0191 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,103 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 22.77 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Central government debt, total in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 130.7% in 2024, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest central government debt, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 194.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest central government debt, total recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.2% in 1991.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for central government debt, total?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 2nd out of 83 countries with data for 2024.
- Is central government debt, total rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Central government debt, total (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
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. Central government is the part of general government that includes all administrative departments of the national executive, legislative, and judicial functions, other central agencies and those non-market producers controlled by the central government, whose competence extends normally over the whole economic territory. 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.