Fact Sheet
UK Spending Statistics 2026
A sourced reference page for UK household spending, payment habits, financial resilience, money apps and debt pressure. Every statistic below includes the source and the date of the source data or release.
Last updated: 6 June 2026
Household Spending
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Financial Resilience
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Payment Behaviour
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Money Apps
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Citable UK spending statistics
Use the anchor beside each statistic when linking to a specific number. Sources are linked directly beside the claim they support.
Household Spending
#GBP 623.30
Average UK household weekly spending
UK households spent GBP 623.30 per week on average in financial year ending 2024, up 10% in cash terms and 3% after inflation from the previous year.
Source: Office for National Statistics; Released 10 September 2025.
Household Spending
#18% and 14%
Housing and transport took the biggest shares
Housing, fuel and power accounted for 18% of average weekly household spending in financial year ending 2024, while transport accounted for 14%.
Source: Office for National Statistics; Released 10 September 2025.
Household Spending
#GBP 948.70 vs GBP 378.60
Higher-income households spent more than twice as much
The richest fifth of UK households spent GBP 948.70 per week on average in financial year ending 2024, compared with GBP 378.60 for the poorest fifth.
Source: Office for National Statistics; ONS expenditure spotlight, accessed 6 June 2026.
Financial Resilience
#13.1 million
UK adults had low financial resilience
The FCA estimated that 13.1 million UK adults, or 24% of adults, had low financial resilience in May 2024.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority; Financial Lives 2024, published 16 May 2025.
Financial Resilience
#7.6 million
UK adults had low savings
The FCA reported that 7.6 million adults, or 14% of UK adults, had low savings in May 2024, giving them limited capacity to absorb financial shocks.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority; Financial Lives 2024, financial inclusion report.
Financial Resilience
#7.3 million
UK adults found bills or credit commitments a heavy burden
The FCA reported that 7.3 million adults, or 13% of UK adults, were heavily burdened by domestic bills or credit commitments in May 2024.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority; Financial Lives 2024, financial inclusion report.
Payment Behaviour
#10.9 million
UK adults used unregulated Buy Now, Pay Later
The FCA reported that 20% of UK adults, or 10.9 million people, used deferred payment credit in the 12 months to May 2024.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority; Financial Lives 2024 key findings.
Payment Behaviour
#1.9 million
BNPL users used it frequently
Among deferred payment credit users, 1.9 million adults used it 10 or more times in the 12 months to May 2024; 54% of frequent users had low financial resilience.
Source: Financial Conduct Authority; Financial Lives 2024 key findings.
Money Apps
#13.3 million
Active UK open banking users
Open Banking Limited reported 13.3 million active UK open banking users in March 2025, including individuals and small businesses.
Source: Open Banking Limited; Impact Report 7, March 2025 data.
Money Apps
#31 million
Open banking payments in one month
Open Banking Limited reported 31 million open banking payments in March 2025, equal to 7.9% of Faster Payments that month.
Source: Open Banking Limited; Impact Report 7, March 2025 data.
Payment Behaviour
#18.9 billion
Contactless card payments made by UK consumers
UK Finance reported that consumers made 18.9 billion contactless card payments in 2024, mostly using debit cards.
Source: UK Finance; Payment Markets Report 2024 findings.
Debt Pressure
#GBP 15,672
Average unsecured debt among new StepChange clients
StepChange reported average unsecured debt of GBP 15,672 among clients completing their first full debt advice session in 2024, up 7% from 2023.
Source: StepChange; Statistics Yearbook 2024.
Debt Pressure
#GBP 10,239
Average mortgage arrears among StepChange clients
StepChange reported average mortgage arrears of GBP 10,239 among relevant clients in 2024, up from GBP 6,054 in 2023.
Source: StepChange; Statistics Yearbook 2024.
What the numbers show
Household budgets are still shaped by essentials, but payment behaviour has become faster and more digital. That combination is why 118M8 focuses on helping people see everyday spending clearly and pause before decisions become automatic.
| Area | Current signal | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Household budgets | Average weekly spending rose in FYE 2024, while housing and transport remained the largest categories. | Small discretionary decisions sit inside budgets already pulled by essential costs. |
| Financial resilience | One in four UK adults had low financial resilience in May 2024. | A surprise expense or repeated small overspends can matter quickly for millions of adults. |
| Digital payments | Cards represented 64% of UK transactions in 2024, and contactless payments reached 18.9 billion. | Faster payment habits make a simple pause more valuable at the point of purchase. |
| Money apps | Open banking had 13.3 million active UK users in March 2025. | People are increasingly comfortable using digital tools to understand money and make decisions. |
Methodology and sources
118M8 selected public sources that are primary, recent and directly relevant to UK consumer spending. Figures are not blended or re-estimated. When a source reports rounded figures, this page keeps the same rounded format.
Financial Conduct Authority
Financial resilience, low savings and deferred payment credit use
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Suggested citation: 118M8, UK Spending Statistics 2026, last updated 6 June 2026.
For a specific figure, link directly to the statistic anchor, for example /uk-spending-statistics#weekly-household-spend.
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