Norfolk County Council: spending, reserves and debt
Norfolk County Council runs county-wide services such as schools, social care and roads for about 945,427 people in the East of England, alongside 7 district councils.
Key figures
What the figures show
Outstanding borrowing was £922.8 million at 31 March 2026, from the MHCLG borrowing and investment table, against investments of £67.4 million. At 31 March 2010 it was £582.6 million. The latest quarter, to 30 June 2026, shows £964.2 million.
That is £976 for each resident, dividing the borrowing figure by the ONS mid-2025 population estimate (945,427), the 3rd highest of the 21 county councils in England with money pages here.
MHCLG records net spending on services of £1.58 billion by Norfolk County Council in 2025-26; education was the biggest single service, at 39% of the services that cost money.
In cash terms the total was 7.2% higher than in 2024-25, and 57% higher than the £1.00 billion of 2017-18.
At 31 March 2026 the authority held £170.6 million in unallocated and earmarked reserves (£28.9 million unallocated, £141.7 million earmarked for set purposes), excluding schools and public health reserves. Over the year to 31 March 2026 reserves rose by £21.6 million. The peak in this series was £180.9 million at 31 March 2022.
For 2026-27, this authority's Band D precept is £1,843.38, +5.0% on 2025-26 and 4.1 times the £448.88 of 1993-94. On the statutory proportions that means £1,228.92 in Band A and £3,686.76 in Band H.
GOV.UK lists Norfolk County Council among councils given Exceptional Financial Support in 2024-25; the amounts as published are in the table below.
Norfolk County Council spending by service, 2025-26
| Service | Net spending, 2025-26 | Share of services that cost money | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | £614.0 million | 38.9% | £649.48 |
| Adult social care | £477.6 million | 30.2% | £505.15 |
| Children's social care | £232.4 million | 14.7% | £245.79 |
| Public health | £52.8 million | 3.3% | £55.81 |
| Environment and regulation (including waste) | £52.7 million | 3.3% | £55.71 |
| Highways and transport | £44.0 million | 2.8% | £46.56 |
| Fire and rescue | £44.0 million | 2.8% | £46.52 |
| Central services | £37.7 million | 2.4% | £39.92 |
| Culture and leisure | £15.3 million | 1.0% | £16.22 |
| Planning and development | £8.6 million | 0.5% | £9.11 |
| Other services | £225,000 | 0.0% | £0.24 |
| Total | £1.58 billion | £1,670.51 |
History
Norfolk County Council: net spending by year
| Year | Net spending |
|---|---|
| 2017-18 | £1.00 billion |
| 2018-19 | £1.00 billion |
| 2019-20 | £1.02 billion |
| 2020-21 | £1.10 billion |
| 2021-22 | £1.14 billion |
| 2022-23 | £1.24 billion |
| 2023-24 | £1.40 billion |
| 2024-25 | £1.47 billion |
| 2025-26 | £1.58 billion |
Norfolk County Council: reserves at 31 March
| Date | Reserves |
|---|---|
| 31 March 2018 | £88.0 million |
| 31 March 2019 | £90.9 million |
| 31 March 2020 | £113.6 million |
| 31 March 2021 | £147.2 million |
| 31 March 2022 | £180.9 million |
| 31 March 2023 | £168.7 million |
| 31 March 2024 | £143.5 million |
| 31 March 2025 | £149.0 million |
| 31 March 2026 | £170.6 million |
Norfolk County Council: borrowing and investments
| Date | Borrowing | Investments |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2010 | £582.6 million | £215.0 million |
| 31 March 2011 | £564.6 million | £190.9 million |
| 31 March 2012 | £568.1 million | £262.1 million |
| 31 March 2013 | £549.5 million | £262.0 million |
| 31 March 2014 | £541.8 million | £245.2 million |
| 31 March 2015 | £532.4 million | £214.7 million |
| 31 March 2016 | £512.9 million | £202.2 million |
| 31 March 2017 | £534.1 million | £176.2 million |
| 31 March 2018 | £547.7 million | £108.0 million |
| 31 March 2019 | £627.4 million | £108.7 million |
| 31 March 2020 | £705.6 million | £174.3 million |
| 31 March 2021 | £749.3 million | £211.9 million |
| 31 March 2022 | £854.2 million | £268.0 million |
| 31 March 2023 | £848.9 million | £293.1 million |
| 31 March 2024 | £818.8 million | £177.2 million |
| 31 March 2025 | £850.3 million | £68.1 million |
| 31 March 2026 | £922.8 million | £67.4 million |
Norfolk County Council: Band D by year
| Year | Band D |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | £448.88 |
| 1994-95 | £465.75 |
| 1995-96 | £455.63 |
| 1996-97 | £465.84 |
| 1997-98 | £482.22 |
| 1998-99 | £557.73 |
| 1999-00 | £612.18 |
| 2000-01 | £650.43 |
| 2001-02 | £691.11 |
| 2002-03 | £758.52 |
| 2003-04 | £879.12 |
| 2004-05 | £929.70 |
| 2005-06 | £956.70 |
| 2006-07 | £1,004.40 |
| 2007-08 | £1,052.10 |
| 2008-09 | £1,091.52 |
| 2009-10 | £1,123.74 |
| 2010-11 | £1,145.07 |
| 2011-12 | £1,145.07 |
| 2012-13 | £1,145.07 |
| 2013-14 | £1,145.07 |
| 2014-15 | £1,145.07 |
| 2015-16 | £1,145.07 |
| 2016-17 | £1,190.79 |
| 2017-18 | £1,247.94 |
| 2018-19 | £1,322.73 |
| 2019-20 | £1,362.24 |
| 2020-21 | £1,416.51 |
| 2021-22 | £1,472.94 |
| 2022-23 | £1,516.95 |
| 2023-24 | £1,592.64 |
| 2024-25 | £1,672.11 |
| 2025-26 | £1,755.63 |
| 2026-27 | £1,843.38 |
Norfolk County Council figures as CSV · What each figure measures
Norfolk County Council council tax bands, 2026-27
Worked out from Band D (£1,843.38) at the proportions in section 5 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992; this authority's share only.
| Band | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Band A | £1,228.92 |
| Band B | £1,433.74 |
| Band C | £1,638.56 |
| Band D | £1,843.38 |
| Band E | £2,253.02 |
| Band F | £2,662.66 |
| Band G | £3,072.30 |
| Band H | £3,686.76 |
Section 114 notices and Exceptional Financial Support
GOV.UK publishes a page for each year listing the councils given Exceptional Financial Support (permission to use capital money or borrowing to meet day-to-day costs). Norfolk County Council appears in these years, with the wording as published:
| Year | As published on GOV.UK |
|---|---|
| 2024-25 | £36.063m (support agreed in February 2026) |
Councils above and below
- Councils in its area: Breckland · Broadland · Great Yarmouth · King's Lynn and West Norfolk · North Norfolk · Norwich · South Norfolk
Where Norfolk County Council sits in the ladder of power
The bodies above Norfolk County Council and the council areas it serves. How the ten levels work.
Level 4: County councils, combined authorities and metro mayors
- Norfolk County Council this page
Level 6: National government
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government the UK government department responsible in England
- UK government and Parliament
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
MHCLG revenue outturn · MHCLG borrowing and investment table · MHCLG Band D table · ONS population, mid-2025. Read 15 October 2026; file fingerprints (SHA-256) are listed on the council money page.
More on Norfolk County Council
Figures checked 15 October 2026. Link moved or figure out of date? Tell us.