Financial News: UK Government Borrowing Exceeds Estimate

UK Government Borrowing Exceeds Estimate

05/22/2026 - 07:38:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - The UK government's borrowing exceeded the official estimate and also hit the highest level for April since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office for National Statistics reported Friday.

The public sector borrowed GBP 24.3 billion in April compared to GBP 19.5 billion borrowing in the previous year.

The April borrowing figure surpassed both the Office for Budget Responsibility's estimate of GBP 20.9 billion and economists' forecast of GBP 20.7 billion. Borrowing reached its highest April level since 2020.

Central government's receipts increased GBP 2.4 billion to GBP 85.5 billion in April. At the same time, current expenditure rose GBP 6.2 billion to GBP 101.1 billion.

Central government debt interest payable totalled GBP 10.3 billion, which was GBP 0.9 billion more than in April 2025.

However, in the financial year to March, borrowing was estimated at GBP 129.0 billion, which was GBP 22.8 billion less than in the previous financial year and GBP 3.7 billion less than the GBP 132.7 billion forecast by the OBR.

At the end of April, public sector net debt excluding public sector banks was provisionally estimated at 94.2 percent of GDP. This was 0.5 percentage point more than in previous year and remained at levels last seen in the early 1960s.

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