Civometry

Debt forecasts, per cent of GDP: record highs and lows

The extremes of debt forecasts, per cent of gdp as published by OBR, across the 25 periods held here (Year ending March 2001 to Year ending March 2025). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

95.4%Year ending March 2021

Lowest published

28%Year ending March 2002

The full series

Debt forecasts, per cent of GDP: Year ending March 2001 to Year ending March 2025LabourLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%25%50%75%20052010201520202025Year ending March 2001: 28.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: 28% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: 29.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: 30.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: 33.4% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: 34.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: 34.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: 35.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: 50.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: 64.4% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: 70.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: 73.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: 77.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: 78.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: 81.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: 80.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: 82.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: 81.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: 79.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: 84.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: 95.4% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: 94.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: 93.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: 94.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: 93.2% 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

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.