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Belfast council debt
District council, Northern Ireland. Latest figures: Jun 2026.
Total debt
£28.6m
£28,633,000
Debt per person
£81
351,927 residents
Net debt
£0
after £52.4m of investments
Change in a year
−13.6%
−£4.5m since Mar 2025
Local economy
£59,169
GDP per person; debt is 0.1% of the area's £20.8bn GDP
Belfast has the 192nd highest debt per person of 197 single-tier councils in the UK (Jun 2026).
Belfast debt over time
Outstanding borrowing at each date, Mar 2016 to Jun 2026.
Who Belfast borrows from
| Lender | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Public Works Loan Board (PWLB)the government's lending facility for councils, run by the UK Debt Management Office; most council borrowing comes from it | £28.6m | 100% |
Outstanding loans by type of lender as reported by the council to MHCLG, short and long term together, as at Jun 2026. The return groups lenders by sector, not by name.
Belfast debt by year
| Date | Debt | Investments | Net debt | Per person | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | £28.6m | £52.4m | £0 | £81 | 351,927 |
| Mar 2026 | £28.6m | £63.4m | £0 | £81 | 351,927 |
| Dec 2025 | £30.9m | £48.6m | £0 | £88 | 351,927 |
| Sep 2025 | £30.9m | £54.2m | £0 | £88 | 351,927 |
| Jun 2025 | £33.1m | £47.7m | £0 | £94 | 352,390 |
| Mar 2025 | £33.1m | £63.9m | £0 | £94 | 352,390 |
| Dec 2024 | £35.8m | £56.6m | £0 | £102 | 352,390 |
| Sep 2024 | £35.8m | £46.8m | £0 | £102 | 352,390 |
| Jun 2024 | £38.5m | £36.9m | £1.6m | £110 | 350,533 |
| Mar 2024 | £38.5m | £17.0m | £21.5m | £110 | 350,533 |
| Dec 2023 | £41.2m | £12.8m | £28.4m | £117 | 350,533 |
| Sep 2023 | £41.2m | £20.4m | £20.8m | £117 | 350,533 |
| Jun 2023 | £43.8m | £10.6m | £33.2m | £126 | 348,005 |
| Mar 2023 | £43.8m | £20.8m | £23.0m | £126 | 348,005 |
| Dec 2022 | £46.4m | £18.5m | £27.9m | £133 | 348,005 |
| Sep 2022 | £46.4m | £25.5m | £21.0m | £133 | 348,005 |
| Jun 2022 | £49.0m | £22.6m | £26.4m | £142 | 344,992 |
| Mar 2022 | £49.0m | £23.2m | £25.8m | £142 | 344,992 |
| Dec 2021 | £54.0m | £21.1m | £32.9m | £157 | 344,992 |
| Sep 2021 | £54.0m | £34.3m | £19.7m | £157 | 344,992 |
| Jun 2021 | £57.0m | £39.6m | £17.4m | £165 | 344,994 |
| Mar 2021 | £57.0m | £40.4m | £16.6m | £165 | 344,994 |
| Dec 2020 | £61.6m | £30.1m | £31.5m | £179 | 344,994 |
| Sep 2020 | £66.6m | £15.8m | £50.8m | £193 | 344,994 |
| Jun 2020 | £72.7m | £14.3m | £58.5m | £211 | 345,391 |
| Mar 2020 | £72.7m | £19.6m | £53.1m | £211 | 345,391 |
| Mar 2019 | £62.9m | £25.8m | £37.1m | £183 | 343,690 |
| Mar 2018 | £36.8m | £13.3m | £23.5m | £108 | 341,915 |
| Mar 2017 | £31.6m | £10.1m | £21.5m | £93 | 341,111 |
| Mar 2016 | £34.8m | £33.2m | £1.5m | £102 | 340,194 |
Similar councils
| Council | Debt | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Derry City and Strabane | £28.4m | £186 |
| Merton | £38.0m | £174 |
| Lisburn and Castlereagh | £17.8m | £117 |
| Belfast | £28.6m | £81 |
| Fermanagh and Omagh | £2.0m | £17 |
| Wandsworth | £1.2m | £3 |
| Mid-Ulster | £0 | £0 |
Single-tier councils closest in debt per person, Jun 2026.