Borrowing so far this year
From April to August 2026 the government borrowed £77.3bn, £8.1bn more than the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expected for those months in its March 2026 forecast. For the whole year to March 2027 the OBR forecasts £115bn.
Latest figures: Public sector finances, UK: August 2026, ONS, published Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 07:00 BST.
Month by month
Each point is the total borrowed since April. The orange line stops at August 2026, the newest month ONS has published; the dashed line is where the OBR's forecast expected the total to be at each month, and the thin line is last year for comparison.
- 2026-27, ONS
- OBR forecast path (March 2026)
- 2025-26, ONS
When the figures change
The Office for National Statistics publishes borrowing once a month. These figures, to August 2026, come from Public sector finances, UK: August 2026, published on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 07:00 BST. The next release, with figures to September 2026, is due on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 07:00 BST.
Our data job reads each new release early the next morning and updates this page once the change has been checked. ONS revises recent months in every release, so the total so far can move.
About the forecast path
The OBR forecasts borrowing for the whole year. To let anyone check progress, it splits that forecast into months using past patterns of tax and spending: its path for 2026-27, from the March 2026 forecast, came out on Thursday 23 April 2026. The OBR calls it broad-brush and illustrative and publishes it as one line with no range, so it is drawn as one line here. A gap part way through the year can grow or close by March.
The Chancellor presents the Autumn Budget 2026 on Wednesday 28 October 2026, with a new OBR forecast. Whether borrowing is running above or below the last forecast is part of the background to it.
Questions
What counts as borrowing here?
The gap between what the whole public sector spends and what it brings in from taxes and other income, month by month. Its official name is public sector net borrowing, excluding public sector banks.
Why compare with the OBR?
The Office for Budget Responsibility makes the official forecasts the government's Budgets are built on. It splits its forecast for the year into months, so anyone can see early whether the year is running ahead of or behind it. So far, from April to August 2026, borrowing is £8.1bn above that path.
Why does borrowing fall in January?
Most self-assessment income tax is due by 31 January, so receipts jump and the government often takes in more than it spends that month. The OBR's path and last year's figures both show the dip.
Will these numbers change?
Yes. ONS revises recent months in every release as fuller figures come in, so the total so far can move. This page always shows the newest release, and last year's months as that release revised them.
When are the next figures?
ONS publishes the next figures, to September 2026, on Wednesday 21 October 2026 at 07:00 BST. The OBR publishes a new path after each forecast.
Sources and editions
- ONS Public sector finances, UK (PUSF time series dataset)ONS, published 22 Sep 2026. Edition used: PSF-2026-09. OGL v3.
- OBR March 2026 Economic and fiscal outlook monthly profilesOffice for Budget Responsibility, published 23 Apr 2026. Edition used: EFO-2026-03. OGL v3.
- OBR Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2026Office for Budget Responsibility, published 3 Mar 2026. Edition used: EFO-2026-03. OGL v3.
- SourcedTaken from an official release, linked. Totals so far are sums of the published months, as in the ONS bulletin.
- Hover over or focus a number to see its method and source.
See the whole year's income and spending in the Statement, and how the numbers are made.