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Data starter: UK bank base rate 2016-2026

Elizabeth Veal

1st May 2026

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What has been happening to the Bank of England base rate of interest in the past decade?

Using the Bank of England’s chart (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/boeapps/database/Bank-Rate.asp) , do these data questions:

  1. Identify two significant features of the trend in the Bank base rate since 2016.
  2. What was the percentage point change in the base rate between February 2024 and February 2026?

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Elizabeth Veal

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