United Kingdom
Government debt in United Kingdom
Government debt in United Kingdom: 42.7% of GDP in 1980 and 102.1% of GDP in 2025, by IMF estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 102.1% of GDP
- Since 1980
- +59.4 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 12 of 149
- counting from the highest
- Projected, 2031
- 100.2% of GDP
- IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026)
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts it at 100.2% of GDP in 2031.
- The highest was 104.4% of GDP in 2020, the lowest 28.5% of GDP in 1990.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 102.1 |
| 2024 | 99.4 |
| 2023 | 98.3 |
| 2022 | 97.1 |
| 2021 | 103 |
| 2020 | 104.4 |
| 2019 | 84.5 |
| 2018 | 85.3 |
| 2017 | 85.9 |
| 2016 | 87.2 |
| 2015 | 87.3 |
| 2014 | 86.4 |
| 2013 | 84.8 |
| 2012 | 84 |
| 2011 | 81 |
| 2010 | 75.5 |
| 2009 | 64.6 |
| 2008 | 50.7 |
| 2007 | 43.1 |
| 2006 | 42.1 |
| 2005 | 41 |
| 2004 | 39.8 |
| 2003 | 36.8 |
| 2002 | 35.5 |
| 2001 | 35 |
| 2000 | 37.7 |
| 1999 | 40.5 |
| 1998 | 42 |
| 1997 | 44.1 |
| 1996 | 43.7 |
| 1995 | 43.7 |
| 1994 | 40.8 |
| 1993 | 38 |
| 1992 | 33.3 |
| 1991 | 28.5 |
| 1990 | 28.5 |
| 1989 | 32.6 |
| 1988 | 37.1 |
| 1987 | 39.3 |
| 1986 | 41.4 |
| 1985 | 41.4 |
| 1984 | 42.3 |
| 1983 | 41.9 |
| 1982 | 43.1 |
| 1981 | 44.9 |
| 1980 | 42.7 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 102 |
| 2027 | 102.5 |
| 2028 | 102.3 |
| 2029 | 101.6 |
| 2030 | 100.9 |
| 2031 | 100.2 |
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
United Kingdom in numbers
Every measure for United Kingdom on one page
Health
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Politics
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Military
- Military spending2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$88B in 2025
- Military spending per person$1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel153,000 people in 2020
- National power1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports702 million TIV in 2025