UK public sector net borrowing, excluding public sector banks, reached £18.3 billion in August 2026, exceeding the £15.5 billion market forecast and marking the second-highest August total on record in nominal terms. Borrowing from April through August totaled £77.3 billion, £8.1 billion above the Office for Budget Responsibility's projection, after upward revisions to the preceding four months. Strong tax receipts were offset by higher spending on goods and services and inflation-linked social security benefits, leaving the current budget deficit at £51.9 billion against an OBR forecast of £47.1 billion. The figures add pressure on Finance Minister John Healey before next month's budget, as the government seeks to balance the current budget by fiscal 2029/30 while bond-market volatility has raised the cost of government borrowing.