UK government borrowing falls to £11.6bn in December

Government borrowing was a third less than in December 2024, but pressure on public finances remains, with £1 in every £10 spent going on debt interest Photograph: Maurice Savage/Alamy

The UK government borrowed less than expected in December, official figures show, after record-breaking receipts, giving a boost to the chancellor.

Public sector net borrowing – the difference between spending and income – was £11.6bn last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, compared with £18.7bn in the same month a year earlier.