Current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Current account balance was -2.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1970–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at -2.4%.
That represents a change of up 18.0% on the previous year and up 50.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 2.6% in 1981 and was at its lowest, -5.5%, in 2016.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 109th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.5% | — |
| 1971 | 1.8% | +21.6% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -82.9% |
| 1973 | -1.3% | -499.2% |
| 1974 | -3.6% | +188.5% |
| 1975 | -1.4% | -60.3% |
| 1976 | -0.6% | -58.6% |
| 1977 | 0.1% | -109.3% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | +1068.3% |
| 1979 | -0.2% | -127.7% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -781.3% |
| 1981 | 2.6% | +115.1% |
| 1982 | 1.6% | -40.7% |
| 1983 | 1.1% | -30.3% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -63.2% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +70.5% |
| 1986 | -0.2% | -132.5% |
| 1987 | -1.7% | +667.6% |
| 1988 | -3.9% | +129.7% |
| 1989 | -4.7% | +19.8% |
| 1990 | -3.6% | -23.7% |
| 1991 | -1.7% | -53.1% |
| 1992 | -2.0% | +18.2% |
| 1993 | -1.7% | -15.1% |
| 1994 | -0.9% | -47.3% |
| 1995 | -1.0% | +13.3% |
| 1996 | -0.7% | -27.2% |
| 1997 | -0.1% | -87.7% |
| 1998 | -0.3% | +255.2% |
| 1999 | -2.1% | +564.0% |
| 2000 | -1.8% | -14.5% |
| 2001 | -1.8% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | -2.0% | +11.8% |
| 2003 | -1.8% | -7.4% |
| 2004 | -2.3% | +25.4% |
| 2005 | -2.0% | -13.5% |
| 2006 | -3.1% | +57.4% |
| 2007 | -3.7% | +19.5% |
| 2008 | -3.9% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | -3.0% | -21.9% |
| 2010 | -2.8% | -8.6% |
| 2011 | -1.6% | -41.2% |
| 2012 | -3.1% | +92.9% |
| 2013 | -4.6% | +47.8% |
| 2014 | -5.0% | +7.5% |
| 2015 | -4.9% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | -5.5% | +11.1% |
| 2017 | -3.5% | -36.4% |
| 2018 | -3.9% | +11.9% |
| 2019 | -2.7% | -31.5% |
| 2020 | -2.9% | +10.0% |
| 2021 | -0.8% | -74.3% |
| 2022 | -2.1% | +174.6% |
| 2023 | -3.6% | +73.0% |
| 2024 | -3.0% | -17.3% |
| 2025 | -2.4% | -18.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -0.3% | -3.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | -0.3% | -4.7% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | -1.4% | -3.6% | -0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | -2.5% | -3.9% | -1.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | -3.8% | -5.5% | -1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -2.5% | -3.6% | -0.8% | 6 |
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)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 4.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 0.459 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 26,440 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5154 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 29,689 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 8.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8166 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Current account balance in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was -2.4% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.6% in 1981.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was -5.5% in 2016.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for current account balance?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 109th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 50.6%. 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 Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. 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.