UK Mortgage Borrowing Rises in August

Net mortgage borrowing by UK individuals increased to £4.4 billion in August 2026, up from a revised £4.1 billion in July but below the six-month average of £5.2 billion. The annual growth rate of net mortgage lending was unchanged at 3.6%. Gross secured lending fell to £23.6 billion, from £25.3 billion in July and below the six-month average of £26.5 billion, while repayments eased to £20.4 billion from £21.1 billion. Meanwhile, the effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages rose to 4.60%, from 4.45%, while the rate on the outstanding mortgage stock edged up to 4.00% from 3.97%.

Net mortgage borrowing by UK individuals fell to £4.3 billion in July, down from £7.7 billion in June and below the previous six-month average of £5.3 billion. The annual growth rate of net mortgage lending was unchanged at 3.6%. Gross secured lending also eased to £25.9 billion from £26.9 billion, slightly below its six-month average of £26.4 billion. Repayments edged up to £21.3 billion from £21.2 billion, remaining above the six-month average of £20.8 billion. The effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages rose to 4.45% in July from 4.35% in June, while the rate on the outstanding mortgage stock increased slightly to 3.97% from 3.96%.

Net mortgage borrowing by UK households surged to £7.7 billion in June 2026 from £3.3 billion in May, far exceeding market expectations of £3.95 billion and the previous six-month average of £4.9 billion, despite rising borrowing costs. The annual growth rate of net mortgage lending also edged up to 3.6% from 3.5%. Gross mortgage lending rose slightly to £27.4 billion from £27.2 billion, remaining above the six-month average of £26.0 billion. Meanwhile, repayments fell to £21.3 billion from £22.7 billion, although they continued to exceed the recent six-month average of £20.4 billion. Meanwhile, the effective interest rate on newly drawn mortgages climbed to 4.35% in June from 4.22% in May, its highest level in more than a year. The average rate on the outstanding stock of mortgages also increased, reaching a record high of 3.96%.