UK Personal Finance Statistics: Mortgages, Savings, Energy and Banking 2026

This page consolidates primary source data on UK personal finance markets: mortgages, savings and ISAs, retail investment, energy and business banking. All figures are drawn from the Bank of England, FCA, HMRC, Ofgem, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and Open Banking. Data is updated as new primary source releases become available. Each section carries a direct link to the full editorial guide on that vertical.

UK mortgage market statistics

Outstanding residential mortgage balances reached £1.746 trillion by Q4 2025, according to the FCA Mortgage Lending and Administration Return (MLAR) published June 2026. New mortgage commitments rose 14.2% year on year in Q1 2026. Bank of England Bankstats data (April 2026) shows the average 2yr fixed rate at 5.14% and the average 5yr fixed at 5.00% for borrowers with a 25% deposit (75% LTV). The rate differential between 2yr and 5yr fixed products reflects market expectations of further base rate reductions.

UK Finance forecasts 1.8 million fixed-rate mortgage deals will expire in 2026, the largest single-year expiry cohort since 2008. Remortgage gross lending rose 20% in 2025 to £93 billion (IMLA). Product transfers heading for a record £250 billion in 2025. Remortgage share of gross advances rose to 29% in Q2 2025, the highest since Q1 2024 (FCA MLAR). First-time buyer lending increased to 31.4% of owner-occupier house purchase advances in Q1 2025, the highest share since reporting began in 2007.

Source: FCA MLAR, June 2026. BoE Bankstats Table A5.7, June 2026. UK Finance Mortgage Market Forecasts 2026. IMLA Mortgage Market Tracker 2025/26. Full guide: Best mortgage rates UK | Remortgage deals UK

UK ISA and savings statistics

The total ISA market reached £872 billion across 22.6 million adult accounts (HMRC Annual Savings Statistics 2025). Cash ISAs are held by 32% of UK adults and Stocks and Shares ISAs by 17% (FCA Financial Lives 2024). The average ISA balance was £34,044 as of April 2023, skewed by higher balances among older savers: over-65s average £64,386 versus £8,288 for under-25s. 5,070 ISA accounts held over £1 million as of April 2023, with an average balance of £1.35 million (HMRC FOI response, 2024).

61% of UK adults with over £10,000 in investible assets hold all or most of it in cash, despite evidence of long-term purchasing power erosion (FCA Financial Lives 2024). AJ Bell estimates approximately 4.5 million adults hold more than £10,000 in Cash ISAs with nothing in a Stocks and Shares ISA, representing a collective pot of at least £101 billion in excess cash. The annual ISA allowance is £20,000 per adult per tax year. All returns within an ISA are free of UK income tax and capital gains tax.

Source: HMRC Annual Savings Statistics 2025, September 2025. FCA Financial Lives Survey 2024, published May 2025. HMRC FOI response, 2024. Full guide: Best trading platforms UK

UK retail investment statistics

7.9 million UK adults used an investment platform in 2024, up from 4.4 million in 2020, an 80% increase in four years (FCA Financial Lives Survey 2024, published May 2025). 35% of UK adults hold investments excluding property, representing approximately 19 million people. Equities are the most common investment product at 20% of adults, with Stocks and Shares ISAs at 17%. 21% of current investors began investing in the last three years.

UK retail investors allocate just 19% of household financial assets to investments, compared to 38% in the EU and 56% in the United States (New Financial research). The UK has the lowest retail investment participation rate in Europe. British retail investors control just 21% of assets under management, compared to 84% in Spain, 34% in Italy and 30% in Germany. CFD loss rates: 71-79% of retail accounts lose money across the UK's major regulated brokers (FCA risk disclosures, 2025). FSCS protection covers investments up to £85,000 per person per FCA-authorised firm.

Source: FCA Financial Lives Survey 2024. fca.org.uk/financial-lives. FCA CFD risk disclosures, 2025. New Financial research, 2024. Full guide: Best trading platforms UK

UK energy market statistics

The Ofgem default tariff price cap stood at £1,849 per year for a typical dual-fuel household on direct debit as of April 2025, based on 3,100 kWh electricity and 12,000 kWh gas consumption. The cap is reviewed quarterly by Ofgem based on wholesale energy costs, network charges and supplier operating costs. As of October 2025, the cheapest available fixed tariff was approximately £265 below the cap - the largest differential since before the 2021-23 energy crisis (Ofgem State of the Energy Market, January 2026).

UK electricity switches reached 253,748 meter point transfers in March 2026, up 5% month on month (Ofgem Retail Market Indicators, March 2026). 23 licensed domestic energy suppliers are currently active, compared to over 60 before the 2021-22 crisis. 38% of electricity customers and 40% of gas customers were on fixed tariffs as of December 2025 (DESNZ Quarterly Energy Prices, March 2026). Consumer energy debt reached a record £3.85 billion in arrears in Q4 2024. For business energy: DESNZ Table E4.1/E4.2 (March 2026) shows average non-domestic electricity at 16.8p/kWh and gas at 3.5p/kWh for Q4 2025.

Source: Ofgem State of the Energy Market, January 2026. Ofgem Retail Market Indicators, March 2026. DESNZ Quarterly Energy Prices Q4 2025, March 2026. ofgem.gov.uk. Full guide: Cheapest energy tariff UK | Cheap business energy UK

UK business banking and SME statistics

Open banking users in the UK reached 17.94 million in March 2026, more than doubling from approximately 8 million at the end of 2023 (Open Banking/AFRP, May 2026). The UK has the highest open banking adoption rate in Europe according to the PSR Open Banking Review (January 2026). Open banking was introduced in January 2018 following the Competition and Markets Authority Retail Banking Market Investigation. For businesses, open banking enables real-time accounting software integration, access to alternative lending products and improved cash flow visibility.

The UK SME population stood at 5.55 million businesses in 2024, accounting for 99.9% of all private sector businesses, 61% of employment and 53% of turnover (DBT Business Population Estimates 2024). Digital-first business accounts from Starling Bank, Monzo Business and Tide now hold millions of UK business accounts. FSCS protection covers deposits up to £85,000 per person per FCA-authorised bank. The Current Account Switch Service completes business account switches in seven working days for businesses with up to 50 employees.

Source: Open Banking/AFRP, March 2026. openbanking.org.uk. DBT Business Population Estimates 2024. PSR Open Banking Review, January 2026. Full guide: Best business bank accounts UK

Frequently asked questions

How large is the UK mortgage market?

Outstanding residential mortgage balances reached £1.746 trillion by Q4 2025 according to FCA MLAR data published June 2026. The UK has the largest residential mortgage market in Europe by outstanding balance. New mortgage commitments totalled £78 billion in Q1 2026, up 14.2% year on year. 1.8 million fixed-rate deals are forecast to expire in 2026 (UK Finance).

How many people use investment platforms in the UK?

7.9 million UK adults used an investment platform in 2024, according to FCA Financial Lives Survey 2024, up 80% from 4.4 million in 2020. Despite this growth, UK retail investors allocate just 19% of household financial assets to investments - the lowest proportion in Europe.

What is the Ofgem energy price cap in 2026?

The Ofgem default tariff price cap stood at £1,849 per year for a typical dual-fuel household as of April 2025. The cheapest available fixed tariff as of October 2025 was approximately £265 below the cap level. The cap is reviewed quarterly. Check ofgem.gov.uk for the current figure.

How many SMEs are there in the UK?

5.55 million private sector businesses in 2024, of which 99.9% are SMEs (fewer than 250 employees), according to DBT Business Population Estimates 2024. SMEs account for 61% of UK private sector employment and 53% of turnover.