About this map
Outstanding borrowing of every council in the United Kingdom, Mar 2010 to Jun 2026.
UK councils owed £127.9bn at Jun 2026: loans from the Public Works Loan Board,
banks, other councils and bond markets.
Two-tier areas of England are shown on separate layers: district councils on one, county councils on the
other, so their debts are never added together. Unitary authorities, metropolitan boroughs, London boroughs
and councils in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run both tiers and appear on both layers.
Debt to budget and debt cost (interest plus repayment) come from each nation's revenue outturn statistics:
England from 2018, Wales from 2010, Scotland from 2017 and 2021. Red markers show section 114 notices and
Exceptional Financial Support. See data and method.