Welcome to the June 2026 edition of The Money Statistics, The Money Charity’s comprehensive monthly round-up of statistics showing how we use money in the UK, kindly funded by Vanquis.
Striking Numbers from the June Money Statistics:
- The UK economy contracted by 0.1% in April 2026, following a growth of 0.3% in March 2026, as the conflict in the Middle East began to have an impact on businesses.
- Annual growth in real terms, adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs, was 0.1% for regular pay and 1.2% for total pay in February to April 2026.
- The unemployment rate for people aged 16 years and over was estimated at 4.9% in February to April 2026, up 0.3% on the year. The number of people classed as unemployed in February to April was 1.764 million, up 123,900 from the previous year.
- The Bank of England reported that lenders approved 56,205 mortgages in May 2026, down from 66,034 in April, and below the average of 63,300 over the past six months. This was the lowest total for mortgage approvals for any month since December 2023.
- There were 36,050 new loans advanced to older borrowers in the first quarter of 2026, down 4.8% year on year.
- Retail sales volumes rose by 1.2% in May 2026, following a fall of 1.0% in April 2026 and a rise of 0.7% in March 2026. The ONS noted that promotions and the hot weather in May increased sales volumes for non-store retailers and department stores.
- Fuel prices have begun falling, according to the RAC. Petrol peaked at 159.53p a litre on 28 May, while diesel has fallen from a high of 191.54p on 15 April.
Get the full picture and many more fascinating facts about money in the UK in our monthly Money Statistics. Previous editions can be found in the archive.
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