The counter extends the latest published balance using the average increase over the preceding 12 months: £91.7 billion from September 2025 to September 2026, or about £2,908 a second. It updates once a second. It is an illustration of that trend, not a live measurement or an ONS forecast. A falling 12-month balance would make it count down. The estimate pauses at the next scheduled release until its source figures are updated.
Public sector net debt excluding public sector banks. September 2026 estimate, provisional and rounded to £100 million. Published by the ONS on 21 October 2026.
Three numbers, three different meanings
Debt is a balance
The stock of financial liabilities included in this measure, less liquid assets. It is measured on a particular date. A different balance-sheet definition produces a different debt number.
Borrowing is a flow
The gap between public sector spending and income over a month or year. It usually contributes to the debt balance, but transactions and valuation changes also affect debt.
Interest is a cost
Interest payable on debt during a period. It contributes to spending and borrowing; adding it again to the debt balance would double-count part of the picture.
Other ways to describe the public balance sheet
Alternative measures for the same date, not extra debts to add to the headline. They cover different institutions, assets and liabilities.
General government gross debt
£3,231.9bn
A gross measure for central and local government. It does not deduct liquid assets in the same way as the headline public sector net debt measure.
Public sector net financial liabilities
£2,643.4bn
A wider set of financial assets and liabilities than net debt. This is an alternative balance-sheet measure, not a component to add to net debt.
Net debt excluding the Bank of England
£2,897.8bn
A version of public sector net debt that removes the Bank of England. The coverage differs from the headline, which includes it.
The headline and charts use ONS public sector net debt excluding public sector banks, covering the United Kingdom. The debt series is HF6W in £ billion, and the debt-to-GDP series is HF6X. The September snapshot was released on 21 October 2026; the next scheduled release is 20 November 2026.
The chart keeps calendar year-end observations from 1993 to 2025 and adds September 2026 as the latest point. The final point is a September balance, not a complete 2026 year-end value. The ONS may revise earlier years as well as the latest month.
The displayed data was checked on 2 November 2026. The charts and supporting figures remain a maintained published snapshot. Only the labelled headline counter is extrapolated. Government bands identify periods in office and provide context, not a causal judgement. Original data is reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the UK's national debt?
The measure shown here was £3.005 trillion at the end of September 2026, equivalent to 94.0% of GDP. It is the ONS public sector net debt measure excluding public sector banks, released on 21 October 2026.
Is the deficit the same as the debt?
No. Borrowing, often called the deficit, measures the spending-income gap during a period. Debt is a balance at a particular date. A government can borrow less than last year and still have a rising debt balance.
Does this include household debt or every future pension payment?
No. This is a defined public sector financial measure. Household mortgages and consumer credit are not part of it, and it is not a total of every possible future government obligation.