Civometry

OBR · per cent of GDP

Borrowing forecasts, per cent of GDP under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Borrowing forecasts, per cent of GDP: Year ending March 1977 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%5%10%19801990200020102020Year ending March 1977: 4.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1978: 3.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1979: 4.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: 3.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: 4.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: 2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: 2.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: 3.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: 3.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: 2.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: 1.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: 1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: -1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: 0% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: 1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: 3.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: 6.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: 6.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: 5.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: 4.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: 3.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: 1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: 0% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: -1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: -1.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: 0.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: 2.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: 3.4% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: 3.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: 3.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: 2.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: 2.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: 7.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: 10.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: 8.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: 7.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: 7.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: 5.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: 5.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: 4.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: 2.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: 2.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: 2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: 2.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: 14.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: 5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: 4.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: 4.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: 5.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – presentFewer than two periods have been published during this government, so no change is shown yet.
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 20242%Year ending March 20194.8%Year ending March 2024↑ 138.7%+2.8%
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 20192.8%Year ending March 20172%Year ending March 2019↓ 28.2%−0.8%
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 20175.2%Year ending March 20152.8%Year ending March 2017↓ 45.4%−2.3%
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 201510.2%Year ending March 20105.2%Year ending March 2015↓ 49.3%−5%
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 20103.8%Year ending March 200510.2%Year ending March 2010↑ 165.5%+6.4%
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005-1.5%Year ending March 20013.8%Year ending March 2005↑ 363.2%+5.3%
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 20013.1%Year ending March 1997-1.5%Year ending March 2001↓ 146.7%−4.6%
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 19973.3%Year ending March 19923.1%Year ending March 1997↓ 5.9%−0.2%
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 19921.9%Year ending March 19873.3%Year ending March 1992↑ 73.1%+1.4%
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 19872.6%Year ending March 19831.9%Year ending March 1987↓ 26.5%−0.7%
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 19834.5%Year ending March 19792.6%Year ending March 1983↓ 42.3%−1.9%