The Office for National Statistics reported borrowing of 139.2 billion pounds for the fiscal year that ended in March, or 5.5% of gross domestic product - up from 121.1 billion pounds in 2021/22, or 5.2% of GDP.
In response to the data, finance minister Jeremy Hunt said Britain had borrowed "eye-watering" sums to support the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy price shock stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. An ONS official said the government's total energy bill subsidies cost about 8 billion pounds in March, taking the six-month total cost to 41.2 billion pounds.
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