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Consumer lending, excluding student loans, in the United Kingdom (UK) reached nearly 35.83 billion British pounds in April 2026. These figures have thus recovered from the stark decline suffered in April 2020. The value of new consumer credit granted also decreased during the economic crisis of 2007, although more gradually. The category consumer lending includes loans and advances to individuals through credit cards and personal loans. The majority of consumer credit is through credit card lending.

Mortgage lending

The value of outstanding mortgage lending in the UK is far higher than that of consumer credit. Additionally, the outstanding volume of consumer credit has fluctuated more in the past, while mortgages have had a more consistent growth. In the second quarter of 2024, the value of gross new mortgage lending in the UK amounted to over 60 billion British pounds.

Credit card payments

With billions of British pounds in gross consumer lending through credit cards, it is unsurprising that the number of credit cards in circulation is high as well. The average amount spent per purchase on credit cards in the UK was more than 55 British pounds at the end of 2025. This figure is much lower than the spending limit of most credit cards.