West Sussex council debt
County council, England. Latest figures: Jun 2026.
West Sussex has the 10th highest debt per person of 21 county councils in the UK (Jun 2026).
West Sussex debt over time
Outstanding borrowing at each date, Mar 2010 to Jun 2026.
What West Sussex spent capital money on
Councils borrow to pay for capital spending: buildings, roads, housing, loans to their own companies, commercial property. Capital spending by service in each financial year, and how much of it was paid for by new borrowing, 2018-19 to 2024-25.
| Year | Capital spending | Borrowed | Biggest items |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | £116m | £16.8m | Roads and transport £63.3m, Schools and education £25.4m, Environment and waste £9.2m |
| 2023-24 | £115m | £35.1m | Roads and transport £58.5m, Schools and education £29.8m, Environment and waste £8.6m |
| 2022-23 | £121m | £37.3m | Roads and transport £54.5m, Schools and education £29.5m, Fire and rescue £17.2m |
| 2021-22 | £108m | £3.0m | Roads and transport £54.9m, Schools and education £23.2m, Planning and regeneration £6.8m |
| 2020-21 | £92.5m | £4.4m | Roads and transport £41.9m, Schools and education £22.4m, Central services and corporate property £9.6m |
| 2019-20 | £87.4m | £7.4m | Roads and transport £32.6m, Schools and education £32.0m, Central services and corporate property £7.2m |
| 2018-19 | £114m | £58.4m | Commercial property and companies £41.0m, Roads and transport £31.4m, Schools and education £26.8m |
"Borrowed" is new borrowing and credit used to finance that year's spending; it can exceed the spending when a council borrows to cover earlier costs or, with government permission, day-to-day losses. Source: MHCLG capital outturn (England, from 2018-19); StatsWales capital outturn (Wales). Not yet available for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Who West Sussex 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 | £437m | 92% |
| Other councilsloans from other local authorities, usually short term | £30.0m | 6% |
| Companiesloans from private companies outside finance | £6.5m | 1% |
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.
West Sussex debt by year
| Date | Debt | Investments | Net debt | Per person | Population | Debt cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | £474m | £89.8m | £384m | £514 | 921,240 | £34.4m |
| Mar 2026 | £444m | £119m | £326m | £482 | 921,240 | £34.4m |
| Dec 2025 | £463m | £123m | £340m | £503 | 921,240 | £33.9m |
| Sep 2025 | £464m | £245m | £218m | £503 | 921,240 | £33.9m |
| Jun 2025 | £468m | £258m | £210m | £512 | 914,100 | £33.9m |
| Mar 2025 | £469m | £249m | £219m | £513 | 914,100 | £33.9m |
| Dec 2024 | £468m | £240m | £228m | £512 | 914,100 | £32.5m |
| Sep 2024 | £468m | £306m | £162m | £512 | 914,100 | £32.5m |
| Jun 2024 | £468m | £337m | £131m | £517 | 904,579 | £32.5m |
| Mar 2024 | £468m | £326m | £142m | £517 | 904,579 | £32.5m |
| Dec 2023 | £467m | £350m | £117m | £516 | 904,579 | £31.9m |
| Sep 2023 | £467m | £409m | £58.6m | £516 | 904,579 | £31.9m |
| Jun 2023 | £467m | £410m | £57.2m | £523 | 893,408 | £31.9m |
| Mar 2023 | £468m | £395m | £72.4m | £523 | 893,408 | £31.9m |
| Dec 2022 | £466m | £402m | £64.6m | £522 | 893,408 | £31.7m |
| Sep 2022 | £467m | £449m | £18.6m | £523 | 893,408 | £31.7m |
| Jun 2022 | £478m | £445m | £32.4m | £540 | 885,048 | £31.7m |
| Mar 2022 | £477m | £443m | £34.2m | £539 | 885,048 | £31.7m |
| Dec 2021 | £477m | £401m | £75.4m | £539 | 885,048 | £31.5m |
| Sep 2021 | £477m | £434m | £43.1m | £539 | 885,048 | £31.5m |
| Jun 2021 | £477m | £379m | £98.4m | £545 | 875,354 | £31.5m |
| Mar 2021 | £480m | £415m | £65.6m | £549 | 875,354 | £31.5m |
| Dec 2020 | £480m | £401m | £78.8m | £548 | 875,354 | £30.5m |
| Sep 2020 | £483m | £401m | £81.7m | £552 | 875,354 | £30.5m |
| Jun 2020 | £483m | £341m | £142m | £554 | 871,740 | £30.5m |
| Mar 2020 | £487m | £339m | £148m | £558 | 871,740 | £30.5m |
| Mar 2019 | £394m | £205m | £189m | £455 | 866,248 | £27.3m |
| Mar 2018 | £400m | £254m | £146m | £466 | 859,537 | £26.7m |
| Mar 2017 | £431m | £283m | £148m | £506 | 851,868 | – |
| Mar 2016 | £426m | £248m | £178m | £506 | 842,534 | – |
| Mar 2015 | £454m | £286m | £168m | £544 | 833,969 | – |
| Mar 2014 | £447m | £304m | £143m | £542 | 825,301 | – |
| Mar 2013 | £447m | £288m | £159m | £547 | 817,521 | – |
| Mar 2012 | £447m | £270m | £177m | £552 | 808,919 | – |
| Mar 2011 | £400m | £183m | £217m | £498 | 803,154 | – |
| Mar 2010 | £409m | £210m | £199m | £514 | 796,039 | – |
Similar councils
| Council | Debt | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Devon | £528m | £625 |
| Lincolnshire | £437m | £551 |
| Hertfordshire | £655m | £528 |
| West Sussex | £474m | £514 |
| Nottinghamshire | £426m | £494 |
| Derbyshire | £338m | £409 |
| Staffordshire | £340m | £372 |
County councils closest in debt per person, Jun 2026.