# UK public borrowing reached £18.3 billion in August

> The UK public sector borrowed £18.3 billion in August 2026, £2.9 billion more than a year earlier, according to the ONS. Spending rose more than tax and other receipts.

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- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Fiscal Policy
- Country: United Kingdom
- Published: 2026-10-07T21:41:38+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-12T06:23:49+03:00
- Event / data period: 2026-08
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Borrowing in the financial year to August was below the same period last year but above the government’s official forecast. Net debt remained just below £3 trillion at the end of August.

The measure excludes public sector banks; positive borrowing represents a deficit. The August amount is a monthly estimate, unadjusted for inflation, and may be revised as more detailed data become available.

## Data

### Public sector net borrowing

UK public sector borrowing in August 2026.

Methodology: ONS UK public sector net borrowing excluding public sector banks: August 2026 monthly flow in billion GBP. Positive values indicate a deficit. No inflation adjustment; latest-month estimate subject to revision.

| label | value | unit | period | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net borrowing, August 2026 | 18.3 | billion GBP | 2026-08 | estimate |

Sources: <https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/august2026> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/uk-public-sector-borrowing-reaches-18-3-billion-pounds-in-august-2026/data/reported-figures?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/uk-public-sector-borrowing-reaches-18-3-billion-pounds-in-august-2026/data/reported-figures?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [Office for National Statistics](<https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/august2026>) (Source checked: 2026-10-07; Published: 2026-09-22)

## Correction history

- 2026-10-12T06:23:49+03:00: Wording in this article's language editions was corrected to retain the article's full information and scope.

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