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Spring Statement 2018

13 March 2018 · Chancellor of the Exchequer: Philip Hammond

Spring Statement 2018 was presented on 13 March 2018, when Philip Hammond was Chancellor of the Exchequer. The OBR published its March 2018 Economic and fiscal outlook the same day. It forecast GDP growth of 1.5% for 2018; the ONS now reports 1.6%, above the forecast. For CPI inflation in 2018 it forecast 2.4%, and the ONS now reports 2.5%. It put public sector net borrowing for 2017-18 at £45.2 billion (2.2% of GDP); the outturn now published is £61.4 billion (2.9% of GDP). Net debt at the end of 2017-18 was forecast at 85.6% of GDP, against 81.7% in the latest outturn. Compared with the previous OBR forecast (Autumn Budget 2017), the borrowing forecast for 2018-19 moved from £39.5 billion to £37.1 billion.

GDP growth (real, calendar year)

YearOBR forecast, March 2018ONS outturn
20181.5%1.6%
20191.3%1.3%
20201.3%-10.0%
20211.4%8.5%
20221.5%5.1%

CPI inflation (calendar-year average)

YearOBR forecast, March 2018ONS outturn
20182.4%2.5%
20191.8%1.8%
20201.9%0.9%
20212.0%2.6%
20222.0%9.1%

Public sector net borrowing

Financial yearOBR forecast, March 2018Outturn (OBR databank)Forecast, per cent of GDPOutturn, per cent of GDP
2017-18£45.2 billion£61.4 billion2.2%2.9%
2018-19£37.1 billion£44.1 billion1.8%2.0%
2019-20£33.9 billion£58.8 billion1.6%2.6%
2020-21£28.7 billion£310.8 billion1.3%14.7%
2021-22£26.0 billion£116.0 billion1.1%4.8%
2022-23£21.4 billion£123.8 billion0.9%4.7%

Public sector net debt (per cent of GDP)

Financial yearOBR forecast, March 2018Outturn (OBR databank)
2017-1885.6%81.7%
2018-1985.5%79.7%
2019-2085.1%84.5%
2020-2182.1%95.5%
2021-2278.3%94.3%
2022-2377.9%93.1%

Other OBR forecasts at Spring Statement 2018

Calendar year201820192020
ILO unemployment rate4.4%4.5%4.6%
RPI inflation3.7%3.0%2.9%
Average earnings growth2.7%2.4%2.5%
House price growth3.7%2.7%2.2%
Real household disposable income growth1.2%0.5%0.5%
Financial year2017-182018-192019-20
Public sector current receipts£752.2 billion£775.8 billion£800.1 billion
Total managed expenditure£797.4 billion£812.9 billion£834.0 billion
Central government gross debt interest£54.4 billion£53.3 billion£52.0 billion

OBR forecasts as recorded in its historical official forecasts database. Each linked figure's forecast page sets every forecast beside the outturn.

← Autumn Budget 2017 · Budget 2018 →

Sources

Forecasts from the OBR's historical official forecasts database; outturns from the ONS and the OBR public finances databank. How the forecasts and outturns are compared, and every data file read.