# UK public sector borrows £24.5bn in September, £1.8bn more than a year earlier

> The ONS reports public sector net borrowing of £24.5 billion in September 2026, up £1.8 billion on the same month last year. The figures are provisional.

- Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/uk-borrowing-24-5-billion-september-2026/
- Type: Data
- Published: 2026-10-23
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team
- Currencies: GBP

The Office for National Statistics reported on 21 October 2026 that the UK borrowed £24.5 billion in September. That is £1.8 billion more than in September 2025. The figures are provisional and will be revised.

## The month

- **Borrowing in September**: £24.5 billion
- **Change on the year**: up £1.8 billion
- **Status**: provisional

Borrowing is the gap between total public sector spending and income. A single month is volatile, so the year-to-date figure in the bulletin gives a steadier read of the trend.

## Reading it

Government borrowing affects gilt yields, and gilt yields feed into sterling through the difference in interest rates between the UK and other economies. For the mechanism, see [bond yields and exchange rates](/news/bond-yields-and-exchange-rates/).

The same week, the [UK inflation report](/news/uk-inflation-september-2026-3-5-percent/) showed CPI at 3.5%, and earlier in the month the [August GDP estimate](/news/uk-gdp-grows-0-1-percent-in-august-2026/) showed growth of 0.1%. Together these shape the outlook for the Bank of England. Live prices: [GBP/USD](/markets/gbp-usd/).

## Sources

- [Office for National Statistics: Public sector finances, UK: September 2026, 21 October 2026](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/governmentpublicsectorandtaxes/publicsectorfinance/bulletins/publicsectorfinances/september2026)

## Common questions

### How much did the UK borrow in September 2026?

The ONS reports borrowing of £24.5 billion in September 2026, up £1.8 billion on September 2025.

### Are the ONS public finance figures final?

No. They are provisional and are revised as more data arrive, which is why the bulletin also shows year-to-date totals.

### What is public sector net borrowing?

It is the difference between what the public sector spends and what it receives in taxes and other income, in a given period.

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