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Data Starter: How weak are the UK’s public finances?

Elizabeth Veal

14th October 2025

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How do the UK’s public finances compare to those in other developed countries?

Using the first table of data in this Economics Observatory article (scroll right down to Table 1: G7 debt & interest rates), then answer the following questions:

  1. The UK’s debt-to-gdp ratio is about 96%. Calculate the percentage point difference between the UK’s ratio and those in the other G7 countries.
  2. Looking at the interest rate information (the policy rate, the 10-year bond yield and 30-year bond yield), compare the UK and its government’s borrowing costs to those in the USA and in Japan.

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Elizabeth Veal

Liz has taught Economics for over 25 years, including several years as Head of Economics at leading schools.

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