Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) was 163.3% in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
163.3%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
12th
of 186 countries
All-time high
163.3%
in 2021
All-time low
30.5%
in 1979
Years of data
62
1960–2021

Liquid liabilities to GDP in United Kingdom, 1960–2021

50100150196019902021

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

Annual values for Liquid liabilities to GDP (%) in United Kingdom, 1960 to 2021.
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.

YearChange FromTo
1987 +70.4% 43.5% 74.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 9 Eritrea 172.7% compare
  2. 10 Malta 169.1% compare
  3. 11 Mauritius 164.6% compare
  4. 13 Singapore 152.6% compare
  5. 14 Vietnam 147.6% compare
  6. 15 Cambodia 143.8% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More financial sector data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

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.

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Liquid liabilities to GDP in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics (IFS), International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 09 November 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/liquid-liabilities-to-gdp-percent/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Liquid liabilities to GDP (%)
Unit
%
Source
International Financial Statistics (IFS), International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
186 places, 8,545 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed

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.