Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) was 163.3% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Liquid liabilities to GDP in United Kingdom, 1960–2021
Source: International Financial Statistics (IFS), International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for liquid liabilities to gdp in United Kingdom is 163.3%, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 62 years on record.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, liquid liabilities to gdp in United Kingdom peaked at 163.3% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 30.5%, in 1979.
That places United Kingdom 12th out of 186 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 39.8% | — |
| 1961 | 38.6% | -3.2% |
| 1962 | 36.1% | -6.3% |
| 1963 | 36.9% | +2.1% |
| 1964 | 35.7% | -3.3% |
| 1965 | 35.6% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 34.6% | -2.9% |
| 1967 | 36.2% | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 35.4% | -2.2% |
| 1969 | 33.8% | -4.6% |
| 1970 | 33.0% | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 33.4% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 38.2% | +14.4% |
| 1973 | 42.2% | +10.4% |
| 1974 | 42.4% | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 36.7% | -13.5% |
| 1976 | 34.6% | -5.8% |
| 1977 | 32.5% | -6.0% |
| 1978 | 32.0% | -1.4% |
| 1979 | 30.5% | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 30.8% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 34.8% | +13.1% |
| 1982 | 36.1% | +3.7% |
| 1983 | 36.3% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 37.7% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 38.2% | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 43.5% | +13.9% |
| 1987 | 74.1% | +70.4% |
| 1988 | 77.0% | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 83.5% | +8.5% |
| 1990 | 85.0% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 82.1% | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 56.5% | -31.2% |
| 1993 | 56.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 57.4% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 60.3% | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 64.7% | +7.2% |
| 1997 | 77.6% | +20.1% |
| 1998 | 89.5% | +15.3% |
| 1999 | 89.5% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 94.3% | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 98.7% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 99.5% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 103.2% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 107.9% | +4.6% |
| 2005 | 116.1% | +7.6% |
| 2006 | 125.6% | +8.1% |
| 2007 | 138.3% | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 158.2% | +14.4% |
| 2009 | 162.4% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 163.1% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 150.5% | -7.7% |
| 2012 | 147.1% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 144.2% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 134.3% | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 132.8% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 138.5% | +4.3% |
| 2017 | 144.3% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 146.5% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 139.3% | -4.9% |
| 2020 | 160.3% | +15.1% |
| 2021 | 163.3% | +1.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 163.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 96.0%, 1.7× the median. (61 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 163.3% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 75.1%, 2.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) in United Kingdom changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +70.4% | 43.5% | 74.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 36.3% | 33.8% | 39.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 35.5% | 30.5% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 49.2% | 30.8% | 83.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 71.9% | 56.1% | 89.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 120.4% | 94.3% | 162.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 144.1% | 132.8% | 163.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 161.8% | 160.3% | 163.3% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More financial sector data for United Kingdom
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, annual growth rate 10.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 104.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0013 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 76.66 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, annual growth rate 10.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0018 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 104.99 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, annual growth rate 5.29 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is liquid liabilities to gdp in United Kingdom?
- Liquid liabilities to gdp in United Kingdom was 163.3% in 2021, according to International Financial Statistics (IFS), International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest liquid liabilities to gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 163.3% in 2021.
- What is the lowest liquid liabilities to gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.5% in 1979.
- How does United Kingdom rank for liquid liabilities to gdp?
- United Kingdom ranks 12th out of 186 countries with data for 2021.
- Is liquid liabilities to gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics (IFS), International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Liquid liabilities to GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 62 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Ratio of liquid liabilities to GDP, calculated using the following deflation method: {(0.5)*[Ft/P_et + Ft-1/P_et-1]}/[GDPt/P_at] where F is liquid liabilities, P_e is end-of period CPI, and P_a is average annual CPI. Raw data are from the electronic version of the IMF's International Financial Statistics. Liquid liabilities (IFS lines 55L or, if not available, line 35L); GDP in local currency (IFS line 99B..ZF or, if not available, line 99B.CZF); end-of period CPI (IFS line 64M..ZF or, if not available, 64Q..ZF); and average annual CPI is calculated using the monthly CPI values (IFS line 64M..ZF) For Eurocurrency area countries liquid liabilities are estimated by summing IFS items 34A, 34B and 35.