UK August public sector net borrowing £35.2 billion vs £39.5 billion expected

Latest data released by ONS - 25 September 2020

• Prior £25.9 billion; revised to £14.7 billion
• PSNB ex banks £35.9 billion vs £38.0 billion expected
• Prior £26.7 billion; revised to £15.4 billion
• PSNCR £25.7 billion
• Prior £16.5 billion

Slight delay in the release by the source. The budget deficit (PSNB ex banks) in August comes in near £36 billion and that sees the total government borrowing for the first five months of the fiscal year rise to ~£174 billion as the fiscal cost of the pandemic mounts.

For some context, the budget deficit in the fiscal year of 2009-10 only hit ~£158 billion, which represented about 10% of the economy at the time.