Government debt by instrument coverage — SDRs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Government debt by instrument coverage — SDRs, currency and deposits was 106.28 Percentage of GDP in 2026. ▲ Rising
Government debt by instrument coverage — SDRs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1995–2026
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 106.28 Percentage of GDP, measured in 2026.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 116.08 Percentage of GDP in 2021 and was at its lowest, 37.93 Percentage of GDP, in 2002.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 8th out of 20 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Government debt by instrument coverage — SDRs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 45.62 Percentage of GDP | — |
| 1996 | 45.37 Percentage of GDP | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 45.43 Percentage of GDP | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 43.54 Percentage of GDP | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 42.2 Percentage of GDP | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 39.88 Percentage of GDP | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 39.29 Percentage of GDP | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 37.93 Percentage of GDP | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 38.52 Percentage of GDP | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 40.14 Percentage of GDP | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 42.68 Percentage of GDP | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 44.3 Percentage of GDP | +3.8% |
| 2007 | 45.17 Percentage of GDP | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 50.33 Percentage of GDP | +11.4% |
| 2009 | 57.97 Percentage of GDP | +15.2% |
| 2010 | 75.75 Percentage of GDP | +30.7% |
| 2011 | 85.14 Percentage of GDP | +12.4% |
| 2012 | 87.93 Percentage of GDP | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 89.73 Percentage of GDP | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 90.9 Percentage of GDP | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 91.94 Percentage of GDP | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 92.39 Percentage of GDP | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 92.65 Percentage of GDP | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 91.45 Percentage of GDP | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 91.39 Percentage of GDP | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 91.66 Percentage of GDP | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 116.08 Percentage of GDP | +26.6% |
| 2022 | 109.22 Percentage of GDP | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 104.14 Percentage of GDP | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 104.73 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 105.35 Percentage of GDP | +0.6% |
| 2026 | 106.28 Percentage of GDP | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.43 Percentage of GDP | 42.2 Percentage of GDP | 45.62 Percentage of GDP | 5 |
| 2000s | 43.62 Percentage of GDP | 37.93 Percentage of GDP | 57.97 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 88.93 Percentage of GDP | 75.75 Percentage of GDP | 92.65 Percentage of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 105.35 Percentage of GDP | 91.66 Percentage of GDP | 116.08 Percentage of GDP | 7 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 5 Lithuania 47.61 Percentage of GDP compare
- 5 Belgium 117.47 Percentage of GDP compare
- 6 Estonia 34.1 Percentage of GDP compare
- 6 Canada 115.71 Percentage of GDP compare
- 7 Türkiye 27.62 Percentage of GDP compare
- 7 Spain 108.86 Percentage of GDP compare
- 9 Portugal 96.35 Percentage of GDP compare
- 10 Finland 95.68 Percentage of GDP compare
- 11 Austria 90.8 Percentage of GDP compare
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)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate 14.95 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0427 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 2,458 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 9.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.2123 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 12,226 current US$ per person (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 6.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.1612 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 106.28 Percentage of GDP in 2026, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 116.08 Percentage of GDP in 2021.
- What is the lowest government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.93 Percentage of GDP in 2002.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 8th out of 20 countries with data for 2026.
- Is government debt by instrument coverage — sdrs, currency and deposits rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. 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 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Government debt by instrument coverage — SDRs, currency and deposits, debt securities, loans and other accounts payable. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The magnitude of government debt and debt-to-GDP ratios varies depending on which measure of debt is used. To promote international comparability, the IMF, the OECD and the World Bank have agreed on a set of standard debt measures, which are defined in the Public Sector Debt Statistics Guide for Compilers and Users and the Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014. Government gross debt is shown in four categories: D1 to D4. D1 is the narrowest measure, comprising only two financial instruments: debt securities and loans. D4 (‘total gross debt’) is the broadest measure and includes debt securities, loans, Special Drawing Rights, currency and deposits, other accounts payable and insurance, pensions and standardised guarantees. The D1 to D3 measures are comparable between OECD countries. D4 is the preferred measure of debt in the international accounting standards (System of National Accounts or SNA) but cross-country comparability is more difficult for D4 because countries have different approaches to recording unfunded pension liabilities for government employees. For more information, please see the document: Measuring Government Debt: D1-D4