UK’s National Debt Grows at Fastest Rate of Any Advanced Economy
Britain’s debt has ballooned faster than any other rich nation, tripling in 20 years and edging the economy towards a “doom loop”, warn economists. The Telegraphhas more.
Debt has close to tripled from 2005 to 2025, analysis by Oxford Economics shows, outpacing increases in any other advanced economy.
A failure by successive governments to live within their means has left the UK with a £2.9 trillion mountain of debt, which is almost as large as the entire economy and costs over £100 billion a year in interest payments.
Only Spain and the US have seen debt rise at a rate close to the UK over the last 20 years, while Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands have managed to lower debt relative to the size of their economies.
Michael Saunders, from Oxford Economics, said: “It’s something we should be concerned about. We do stand out, and not in a good way. The extent to which UK debt has risen is part of the cause of high UK yields.”
The unenviable record underlines the peril facing Rachel Reeves as the Chancellor prepares for her Budget later this month. City analysts expect a Budget of similar scale to last year’s record £40 billion tax raid, which saw Ms Reeves outline yet more heavy borrowing plans.
Economists have raised fears that Britain could be moving perilously close to a “doom loop”, whereby high debt costs and low growth force the Chancellor to raise taxes to service borrowings, damaging the economy in the process and forcing yet more tax rises.
The UK already faces higher borrowing costs than many rivals like France and the US despite lower overall debt levels, underscoring investors’ concern about the country’s position. …
The cost of 30-year borrowing briefly hit a 27-year high in September after rising past 5.7%, while 10-year gilts have hovered around levels last seen during the 2008 financial crisis.
The Government and the Bank of England are relying on private investors to finance around £200 billion of borrowing next year.
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Sforzesca
5 months ago
Shhhh.
I wonder why no one, not in the MSM, HMG. the so called opposition parties and the Elites ever mentions the 350 – 500 plus billion spent on creating and promoting Covid Clown World?
That’s ok though – because the RPTB are part of it.
Indeed. Half a trillion pound sterling printed and immediately handed to pharma and tech for unnecessary and harmful stuff. And the bill passed to the the taxpayer for the next fifty years at least. Unless every productive individual emigrates, and the bill goes unpaid, leaving the country in, to put it mildly, the doldrums.
Great grift, though. And they got to spend the money first, before it inflated away.
Trickle down, huh… that would be capitalism. That means not Crony Capitalism, kids, which is what we have at the moment.
Not crony capitalism, corporatism. Corporatism is the merger of corporate power with government power. It is a term coined by Benito Mussolini as a better way to describe Fascism.
That’s what we have had in effect since WWII. The State: everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.
There’s that money, but then also the lack of production / actual work completed during that time as well, so it’s a double whammy – print new money to pay people not to do any work of value… brilliant, what could possibly go wrong with that…?
it still annoys the hell out of me when seemingly intelligent people were surprised we had a huge inflation spike post this, and instead liked to blame it on Russia or whoever… the answer is right in your face – we printed and added around 20% new currency to our ‘pot’ – you can’t be surprised to find it’s worth a s**t-ton less?
In total agreement, but could someone put names on RPTB please.
MadWolf303
5 months ago
Help me out here……We are importing vast numbers of unemployable men, who we put up in 4 star Hotels , give weekly pocket money to, that they then send home, These same men frequently run amok, stabbing us, in an attempt to kill us and we do this with borrowed money, while already in debt up to our eyeballs.
“…No new oil wells are to be drilled in the British North Sea this year for the first time since 1964. By contrast Norway has seen 30 new exploration wells drilled so far in 2025, with up to 9 more expected before year end.”
Drill Ole, drill.
Jaguar
5 months ago
Net Zero is closing down the economy. Public spending is out of control. The government’s MPs think there is unlimited money to be had by taxing billionaires. We are emulating Venezuela.
And, apparently, what the Utopian Kingdom of Britain is now, so we keep being told, is all due to our rich history of flooding the place with immigrants from the World’s shyteholes since WWII. £2.9 trillion debt.
Fiscal year to date, Government borrowed £98 billion, of which £55 billion was used to service the debt – and to add to it.
At this rate, passed the half-way mark, the entire borrowing will soon go on debt service.
And not forgetting, to pay off the principal sum, Government “prints” money = inflation, debauches the currency, drop in purchase power and impoverishment of the people.
It is all the fault of BREXIT and the TORIES. —-You I get the impression that Labour and their supporters will tell you that the Black Hole at the centre of the Galaxy is all because of “the Previous Government”, and “Brexit”. The idea that it is due to gravity will be “misinformation” that needs regulated, with further expansion of the Online Safety Act.
jamorris
5 months ago
This problem will not be solved by journalists, economists or politicians. It is a medical problem and the medical profession have their eyes firmly shut. There is a rising tide of chronic inflammation affecting the entire population. It is a consequence of a diet that lacks lactose fermenting bacteria. In the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s the consumptino of fresh milk was over one pint per person and the Uk microbiome was healthy. But since the 1960s the intake of fresh mlk has fallen and that which is drunk contains far fewer bacteria. The result is a sub-optimal microbiome which allows bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus to enter the tissues and cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a contributing factor to a wide range of disease including anxiety and depression. The consequence is many young people of working age are not in work and claiming benefits. Anxiety is a complex process with many causative factors interacting, but chronic inflammation is an essential factor and if it can be reduced then the pathological anxiety can be reduced to manageable proportions. And it should prove possible to get these young people into meaningful employment. The way to reduce inflammation is daily consumption of yoghurt.… Read more »
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to The Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
Shhhh.
I wonder why no one, not in the MSM, HMG. the so called opposition parties and the Elites ever mentions the 350 – 500 plus billion spent on creating and promoting Covid Clown World?
That’s ok though – because the RPTB are part of it.
Indeed. Half a trillion pound sterling printed and immediately handed to pharma and tech for unnecessary and harmful stuff. And the bill passed to the the taxpayer for the next fifty years at least. Unless every productive individual emigrates, and the bill goes unpaid, leaving the country in, to put it mildly, the doldrums.
Great grift, though. And they got to spend the money first, before it inflated away.
Trickle down, huh… that would be capitalism. That means not Crony Capitalism, kids, which is what we have at the moment.
Don’t forget the endless wars. The War Mongering Deep Staters – UK and US – are the ones most likely to go teats up. Destiny I would say.
Not crony capitalism, corporatism. Corporatism is the merger of corporate power with government power. It is a term coined by Benito Mussolini as a better way to describe Fascism.
That’s what we have had in effect since WWII. The State: everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.
There’s that money, but then also the lack of production / actual work completed during that time as well, so it’s a double whammy – print new money to pay people not to do any work of value… brilliant, what could possibly go wrong with that…?
it still annoys the hell out of me when seemingly intelligent people were surprised we had a huge inflation spike post this, and instead liked to blame it on Russia or whoever… the answer is right in your face – we printed and added around 20% new currency to our ‘pot’ – you can’t be surprised to find it’s worth a s**t-ton less?
In total agreement, but could someone put names on RPTB please.
Help me out here……We are importing vast numbers of unemployable men, who we put up in 4 star Hotels , give weekly pocket money to, that they then send home, These same men frequently run amok, stabbing us, in an attempt to kill us and we do this with borrowed money, while already in debt up to our eyeballs.
Something doesn’t compute.
Indeed.
I am curious as to who downvoted your comment – seriously odd. Definitely not a full shilling.
Can’t help but notice Norway is top of the class thanks to all that oil and gas sold to Britain (and Europe), while Britain is bottom of the class…
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/11/02/no-new-north-sea-oil-wells-labour-crackdown/
“…No new oil wells are to be drilled in the British North Sea this year for the first time since 1964. By contrast Norway has seen 30 new exploration wells drilled so far in 2025, with up to 9 more expected before year end.”
Drill Ole, drill.
Net Zero is closing down the economy. Public spending is out of control. The government’s MPs think there is unlimited money to be had by taxing billionaires. We are emulating Venezuela.
And, apparently, what the Utopian Kingdom of Britain is now, so we keep being told, is all due to our rich history of flooding the place with immigrants from the World’s shyteholes since WWII. £2.9 trillion debt.
Fiscal year to date, Government borrowed £98 billion, of which £55 billion was used to service the debt – and to add to it.
At this rate, passed the half-way mark, the entire borrowing will soon go on debt service.
And not forgetting, to pay off the principal sum, Government “prints” money = inflation, debauches the currency, drop in purchase power and impoverishment of the people.
I am still confident that a complete financial system crash will occur before the end of 2026.
It is all the fault of BREXIT and the TORIES. —-You I get the impression that Labour and their supporters will tell you that the Black Hole at the centre of the Galaxy is all because of “the Previous Government”, and “Brexit”. The idea that it is due to gravity will be “misinformation” that needs regulated, with further expansion of the Online Safety Act.
This problem will not be solved by journalists, economists or politicians. It is a medical problem and the medical profession have their eyes firmly shut. There is a rising tide of chronic inflammation affecting the entire population. It is a consequence of a diet that lacks lactose fermenting bacteria. In the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s the consumptino of fresh milk was over one pint per person and the Uk microbiome was healthy. But since the 1960s the intake of fresh mlk has fallen and that which is drunk contains far fewer bacteria. The result is a sub-optimal microbiome which allows bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus to enter the tissues and cause inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a contributing factor to a wide range of disease including anxiety and depression. The consequence is many young people of working age are not in work and claiming benefits. Anxiety is a complex process with many causative factors interacting, but chronic inflammation is an essential factor and if it can be reduced then the pathological anxiety can be reduced to manageable proportions. And it should prove possible to get these young people into meaningful employment. The way to reduce inflammation is daily consumption of yoghurt.… Read more »
Additional link:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323406707_Optimise_the_microbial_flora_with_milk_and_yoghurt_to_prevent_disease