Civometry

Borrowing forecasts, per cent of GDP: record highs and lows

The extremes of borrowing forecasts, per cent of gdp as published by OBR, across the 49 periods held here (Year ending March 1977 to Year ending March 2025). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

14.7%Year ending March 2021

Lowest published

-1.5%Year ending March 2001

The full series

Borrowing forecasts, per cent of GDP: Year ending March 1977 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0%5%10%19801990200020102020Year ending March 1977: 4.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1978: 3.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1979: 4.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: 3.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: 4.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: 2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: 2.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: 3.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: 3.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: 2.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: 1.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: 1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: -1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: 0% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: 1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: 3.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: 6.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: 6.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: 5.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: 4.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: 3.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: 1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: 0% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: -1.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: -1.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: 0.5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: 2.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: 3.4% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: 3.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: 3.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: 2.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: 2.9% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: 7.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: 10.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: 8.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: 7.3% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: 7.1% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: 5.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: 5.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: 4.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: 2.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: 2.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: 2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: 2.6% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: 14.7% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: 5% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: 4.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: 4.8% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: 5.2% per cent of GDP · published 26 March 2026
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What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.