UK August Borrowing Hit £18.3bn, Well Above Forecasts

UK government borrowed £18.3bn in August 2026, the Office for National Statistics reported September 22. That is £2.9bn more than August 2025 and £3.5bn above the Office for Budget Responsibility's forecast, the official budget watchdog, above City analysts' £15.6bn consensus. Repeated misses like this leave the chancellor less room to manage debt.