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Orkney Islands council debt
Unitary authority, Scotland. Latest figures: Jun 2026.
Total debt
£45.0m
£45,000,000
Debt per person
£2,053
21,920 residents
Net debt
£0
after £293m of investments
Change in a year
+0.0%
+£0 since Mar 2025
Debt to budget
0.5×
times net current spending, 2024-25
Local economy
£40,283
GDP per person; debt is 5.1% of the area's £883m GDP
Debt cost
£267
per person: £5.9m of interest and repayment in 2024-25 (£2.7m interest)
Orkney Islands has the 81st highest debt per person of 197 single-tier councils in the UK (Jun 2026).
Orkney Islands debt over time
Outstanding borrowing at each date, Mar 2010 to Jun 2026.
Who Orkney Islands 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 | £45.0m | 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.
Orkney Islands debt by year
| Date | Debt | Investments | Net debt | Per person | Population | Debt cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | £45.0m | £293m | £0 | £2,053 | 21,920 | £5.9m |
| Mar 2026 | £50.0m | £286m | £0 | £2,281 | 21,920 | – |
| Dec 2025 | £50.0m | £280m | £0 | £2,281 | 21,920 | £5.9m |
| Sep 2025 | £50.0m | £296m | £0 | £2,281 | 21,920 | £5.9m |
| Jun 2025 | £50.0m | £276m | £0 | £2,273 | 22,000 | £5.9m |
| Mar 2025 | £50.0m | £263m | £0 | £2,273 | 22,000 | £5.9m |
| Dec 2024 | £55.0m | £284m | £0 | £2,500 | 22,000 | £4.7m |
| Sep 2024 | £55.0m | £283m | £0 | £2,501 | 22,000 | £4.7m |
| Jun 2024 | £55.0m | £276m | £0 | £2,500 | 22,010 | £4.7m |
| Mar 2024 | £45.0m | £271m | £0 | £2,046 | 22,010 | £4.7m |
| Dec 2023 | £40.0m | £265m | £0 | £1,819 | 22,010 | £3.0m |
| Sep 2023 | £40.0m | £265m | £0 | £1,819 | 22,010 | £3.0m |
| Jun 2023 | £40.0m | £257m | £0 | £1,818 | 22,030 | £3.0m |
| Mar 2023 | £30.1m | £258m | £0 | £1,364 | 22,030 | £3.0m |
| Dec 2022 | £30.1m | £262m | £0 | £1,364 | 22,030 | £3.4m |
| Sep 2022 | £30.1m | £271m | £0 | £1,365 | 22,030 | £3.4m |
| Jun 2022 | £30.1m | £274m | £0 | £1,365 | 22,030 | £3.4m |
| Mar 2022 | £35.1m | £294m | £0 | £1,593 | 22,030 | £3.4m |
| Dec 2021 | £35.1m | £308m | £0 | £1,593 | 22,030 | – |
| Sep 2021 | £35.1m | £305m | £0 | £1,593 | 22,030 | – |
| Jun 2021 | £35.1m | £298m | £0 | £1,598 | 21,970 | – |
| Mar 2021 | £35.1m | £296m | £0 | £1,598 | 21,970 | – |
| Dec 2020 | £35.1m | £285m | £0 | £1,598 | 21,970 | – |
| Sep 2020 | £35.1m | £271m | £0 | £1,599 | 21,970 | – |
| Jun 2020 | £35.1m | £266m | £0 | £1,606 | 21,870 | – |
| Mar 2020 | £35.1m | £240m | £0 | £1,607 | 21,870 | – |
| Mar 2019 | £30.2m | £257m | £0 | £1,382 | 21,830 | – |
| Mar 2018 | £30.2m | £244m | £0 | £1,390 | 21,730 | – |
| Mar 2017 | £35.2m | £247m | £0 | £1,628 | 21,640 | – |
| Mar 2016 | £40.0m | £224m | £0 | £1,859 | 21,520 | – |
| Mar 2015 | £40.0m | £226m | £0 | £1,860 | 21,510 | – |
| Mar 2014 | £40.0m | £210m | £0 | £1,860 | 21,510 | – |
| Mar 2013 | £40.0m | £218m | £0 | £1,860 | 21,500 | – |
| Mar 2012 | £40.0m | £213m | £0 | £1,867 | 21,420 | – |
| Mar 2011 | £40.0m | £215m | £0 | £1,885 | 21,220 | – |
| Mar 2010 | £10.0m | £178m | £0 | £478 | 20,940 | – |
Similar councils
| Council | Debt | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Sutton | £452m | £2,114 |
| Blaenau Gwent | £141m | £2,088 |
| Hounslow | £624m | £2,084 |
| Orkney Islands | £45.0m | £2,053 |
| Shetland Islands | £46.0m | £2,026 |
| Islington | £444m | £1,975 |
| Neath & Port Talbot | £278m | £1,959 |
Single-tier councils closest in debt per person, Jun 2026.