The UK is sitting on its biggest debt pile since WW2. Should you be worried?

UK government borrowing is higher than at any time since the Second World War. But with a strong economic recovery predicted, things might not be as bad as they seem, says Saloni Sardana.

Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak
(Image credit: © Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

The UK government borrowed an eye-watering £303bn in the year to March as the pandemic created a massive hole in the government’s finances. Government net borrowing now stands at 14.5% of UK GDP. The last time it was anywhere this high was in 1946 when it hit 15.2%, after running up debts to fight the Second World War. The result is that the UK’s public sector net debt, commonly known as the fiscal deficit, is now 97.7% of GDP.

The furlough scheme and other measures taken to help the economy stay afloat during the pandemic have hit public finances badly. But along with higher spending, the pandemic has also hit tax revenues: the unemployed or furloughed pay lower income tax, and businesses who suffered a slump in profits also pay less in tax.

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Saloni Sardana

Saloni is a web writer for MoneyWeek focusing on personal finance and global financial markets. Her work has appeared in FTAdviser (part of the Financial Times),  Business Insider and City A.M, among other publications. She holds a masters in international journalism from City, University of London.

Follow her on Twitter at @sardana_saloni