Consumers borrowed £1.5bn net in February — the highest monthly figure since statistics began in 1993
UK consumers borrowed a record amount in February, with some economists saying it was a sign of the cost of living crisis hitting wallets even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed energy prices higher.
Individuals borrowed a net £1.5bn on credit cards in February, the highest monthly amount since records began in 1993, according to data published by the Bank of England on Tuesday.
The figure was more than three times higher than the average of £400mn borrowed in the previous six months and pushed total consumer credit, which includes personal loans and car dealership finance, to £1.9bn net — the highest level in five years.
Consumer borrowing is usually considered a measure of spending growth, but with inflation at a 30-year high and falling consumer confidence, some economists have warned that it was increasingly a sign of consumers running into debt to maintain their standard of living.
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