Household debt figures for the United Kingdom, from the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, StepChange, Citizens Advice and the ONS.
The ratio of household debt to income in the United Kingdom was 116.5% in Quarter 2 2026.
Source: Households (S.14): Debt to Income ratio: percentage: NSA (UK economic accounts, series CVZI), Office for National Statistics, Q2 2026
Households (S.14) debt to income ratio, quarterly, not seasonally adjusted, as a percentage. Dataset UKEA, released 2026-09-29. Quarter 1 is January to March.
The 12-month growth rate of lending to individuals, excluding student loans, was 4.2 per cent in the United Kingdom in September 2026.
Source: Monthly 12 month growth rate of total (excluding the Student Loans Company) sterling net lending to individuals (in percent) seasonally adjusted, Bank of England, September 2026
Seasonally adjusted.
In 2024, 18 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom were over-indebted.
Source: Financial Lives 2024 survey: Forbearance & debt advice, underlying data for charts, Financial Conduct Authority, 2024
Survey estimate, base all UK adults, rounded to whole per cent by the publisher; fieldwork 5 February to 16 June 2024; Over-indebted: in financial difficulty or finding keeping up with bills and credit commitments a heavy burden
In 2024, 8 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom were in financial difficulty, having missed domestic bills or credit commitments in three or more of the previous six months.
Source: Financial Lives 2024 survey: Vulnerability & financial resilience, underlying data for charts, Financial Conduct Authority, 2024
Survey estimate, base all UK adults, rounded to whole per cent by the publisher; fieldwork 5 February to 16 June 2024
In 2024, 13 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom said keeping up with domestic bills and credit commitments was a heavy burden.
Source: Financial Lives 2024 survey: Vulnerability & financial resilience, underlying data for charts, Financial Conduct Authority, 2024
Survey estimate, base all UK adults, rounded to whole per cent by the publisher; fieldwork 5 February to 16 June 2024; Excludes don't know responses
In 2024, 24 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom had low financial resilience.
Source: Financial Lives 2024 survey: Vulnerability & financial resilience, underlying data for charts, Financial Conduct Authority, 2024
Survey estimate, base all UK adults, rounded to whole per cent by the publisher; fieldwork 5 February to 16 June 2024; Low financial resilience: in financial difficulty, heavily burdened by bills or credit commitments, or low savings
In January 2026, 7% of UK adults surveyed showed signs of problem debt (three or more signs of financial difficulty).
Source: Navigating through the cost of living crisis and beyond (July 2026 analysis paper), StepChange, January 2026
Cost of living polling analysis paper, July 2026: online survey of UK adults (18+) commissioned by the charity, weighted to be representative; January 2026 wave had 2,179 respondents, fieldwork 19-20 January 2026. Problem debt means selecting three or more of the Q2 behaviours.
In January 2026, 28% of UK adults surveyed showed at least one sign of financial difficulty.
Source: Navigating through the cost of living crisis and beyond (July 2026 analysis paper), StepChange, January 2026
Cost of living polling analysis paper, July 2026: online survey of UK adults (18+) commissioned by the charity, weighted to be representative; January 2026 wave had 2,179 respondents, fieldwork 19-20 January 2026. Signs of financial difficulty are the seven behaviours in the paper's Q2 table.
In June 2023, 21% of UK adults surveyed had borrowed money to pay for essentials such as groceries in the previous six months.
Source: One in four people behind on at least one bill, as UK households fall GBP 22 billion in the red (press release, 14 September 2023), Citizens Advice, June 2023
Same poll of 4,269 UK adults, fieldwork 2 to 22 June 2023.
In the period 2 to 27 September 2026, 22% of adults in Great Britain reported having had to borrow more money or use more credit than usual in the last month, compared with a year earlier.
Source: Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: household finances, 2 to 27 September 2026 edition, Office for National Statistics, September 2026
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey trend table, fieldwork 2 to 27 September 2026 (the survey period ending in September of that year). Adults aged 16 and over, Great Britain; 95% confidence interval 20 to 24 percent. Earlier periods use the same published question.
In the period 2 to 27 September 2026, 28% of adults in Great Britain reported that their household would be unable to afford an unexpected but necessary expense of £850.
Source: Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: household finances, 2 to 27 September 2026 edition, Office for National Statistics, September 2026
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey trend table, fieldwork 2 to 27 September 2026 (the survey period ending in September of that year). Adults aged 16 and over, Great Britain; 95% confidence interval 25 to 30 percent. Earlier periods use the same published question.
In the period 1 July to 27 September 2026, 6% of adults in Great Britain reported having a direct debit, standing order or bill they had not been able to pay in the past month.
Source: Public opinions and social trends, Great Britain: household finances by personal characteristics, 1 July to 27 September 2026, Office for National Statistics, Q3 2026
Opinions and Lifestyle Survey fieldwork 1 July to 27 September 2026 (13 weeks, published 16 October 2026). Adults aged 16 and over, Great Britain. Table question: Have you had a direct debit, standing order, or bill you have not been able to pay in the past month? [note 1][note 2][note 3][note 4][note 5][note 6][note 7][note 8][note 9] Sample size 10680; 95% confidence interval 6 to 7 percent.
50% of households in Great Britain had financial debt in April 2020 to March 2022.
Source: Household debt: wealth in Great Britain, Table 7.1, Office for National Statistics, 2020 to 2022
Share of all households. Wealth and Assets Survey round covering April 2020 to March 2022 (two survey years).
4% of households in Great Britain had problem debt in April 2020 to March 2022.
Source: Household debt: wealth in Great Britain, Table 7.15, Office for National Statistics, 2020 to 2022
Problem debt is defined by the publisher as having liquidity problems, solvency problems or both.
11% of individuals with financial debt in Great Britain found their financial debts a heavy burden in April 2020 to March 2022.
Source: Household debt: wealth in Great Britain, Table 7.7, Office for National Statistics, 2020 to 2022
Self-reported burden. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Loans owed by households in the United Kingdom totalled £2,212,624 million at the end of Quarter 2 2026.
Source: Households (S.14): Loans (AF.4): Liability: Current price: £m: NSA (UK economic accounts, series NIWK), Office for National Statistics, Q2 2026
Households (S.14) loans (AF.4) liability, level at end of period, current prices, not seasonally adjusted. Dataset UKEA, released 2026-09-29. Quarter 1 is January to March.
The median financial debt of households in Great Britain with financial debt was £4,600 in April 2020 to March 2022.
Source: Household debt: wealth in Great Britain, Table 7.1, Office for National Statistics, 2020 to 2022
Median among households that hold this type of debt (households without it are excluded). Nominal terms.
Households in Great Britain owed £1,410 billion in total debt in April 2020 to March 2022.
Source: Household debt: wealth in Great Britain, Table 7.1, Office for National Statistics, 2020 to 2022
Aggregate amount owed by all households with this debt, nominal terms, as published in billions of pounds.
The ratio of household debt to income in the United Kingdom was 130.2% in 2022.
Source: Households (S.14): Debt to Income ratio: percentage: NSA (UK economic accounts, series CVZH), Office for National Statistics, 2022
Households (S.14) debt to income ratio, annual, not seasonally adjusted, as a percentage. Dataset UKEA, released 2026-09-29. Calendar year.
The ratio of household debt to income in the United Kingdom was 131.9% in 2019.
Source: Households (S.14): Debt to Income ratio: percentage: NSA (UK economic accounts, series CVZH), Office for National Statistics, 2019
Households (S.14) debt to income ratio, annual, not seasonally adjusted, as a percentage. Dataset UKEA, released 2026-09-29. Calendar year.
The ratio of household debt to income in the United Kingdom was 116.5% in Quarter 2 2026. The 12-month growth rate of lending to individuals, excluding student loans, was 4.2 per cent in the United Kingdom in September 2026. In 2024, 18 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom were over-indebted.
The ratio of household debt to income in the United Kingdom was 116.5% in Quarter 2 2026.
The 12-month growth rate of lending to individuals, excluding student loans, was 4.2 per cent in the United Kingdom in September 2026.
In 2024, 18 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom were over-indebted.