STORY
Public sector borrowing reached £18.3 billion in August, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics. This was £2.9 billion more than in August 2025 and the second highest August total since monthly records began, without adjusting for inflation.
Borrowing during the financial year to August totalled £77.3 billion. Although this was £2.2 billion lower than during the equivalent period last year, it was £8.1 billion above the forecast produced by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Public sector net debt was provisionally estimated at almost £2.99 trillion at the end of August, equivalent to 93.8 per cent of gross domestic product. The figures add to the financial pressures facing Chancellor John Healey as he prepares for the Budget on 28 October.