Dorset: spending, reserves and debt
Dorset is a unitary authority in the South West with about 391,036 residents (ONS, mid-2025).
Key figures
What the figures show
At 31 March 2026 the council held £161.2 million in unallocated and earmarked reserves (£36.0 million unallocated, £125.2 million earmarked for set purposes), excluding schools and public health reserves. Over the year to 31 March 2026 reserves rose by £34.4 million. The peak in this series was £176.1 million at 31 March 2021.
Dorset spent £762.5 million on services in 2025-26, MHCLG reports. The largest item was education at £315.5 million, followed by adult social care at £204.8 million.
In cash terms the total was 5.7% higher than in 2024-25, and 46% higher than the £520.8 million of 2019-20.
MHCLG's borrowing and investment table shows £314.7 million of outstanding borrowing at 31 March 2026, against investments of £33.6 million. At 31 March 2020 it was £216.0 million. The latest quarter, to 30 June 2026, shows £299.7 million.
That is £805 for each resident, dividing the borrowing figure by the ONS mid-2025 population estimate (391,036), 10th highest of the 13 unitary, metropolitan and London borough councils in the South West with money pages here.
For 2026-27, the average Band D bill in the area is £2,765.02, +5.1% on 2025-26. On the statutory proportions that means £1,843.35 in Band A and £5,530.04 in Band H.
Dorset spending by service, 2025-26
| Service | Net spending, 2025-26 | Share of services that cost money | Per resident |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education | £315.5 million | 41.4% | £806.71 |
| Adult social care | £204.8 million | 26.9% | £523.62 |
| Children's social care | £102.9 million | 13.5% | £263.14 |
| Environment and regulation (including waste) | £45.8 million | 6.0% | £117.09 |
| Highways and transport | £18.9 million | 2.5% | £48.41 |
| Public health | £16.6 million | 2.2% | £42.48 |
| Culture and leisure | £15.4 million | 2.0% | £39.27 |
| Planning and development | £15.0 million | 2.0% | £38.32 |
| Housing (not council housing) | £10.6 million | 1.4% | £27.01 |
| Other services | £9.9 million | 1.3% | £25.34 |
| Central services | £7.3 million | 1.0% | £18.68 |
| Total | £762.5 million | £1,950.06 |
History
Dorset: net spending by year
| Year | Net spending |
|---|---|
| 2019-20 | £520.8 million |
| 2020-21 | £621.1 million |
| 2021-22 | £656.6 million |
| 2022-23 | £608.2 million |
| 2023-24 | £657.9 million |
| 2024-25 | £721.2 million |
| 2025-26 | £762.5 million |
Dorset: reserves at 31 March
| Date | Reserves |
|---|---|
| 31 March 2020 | £135.1 million |
| 31 March 2021 | £176.1 million |
| 31 March 2022 | £175.4 million |
| 31 March 2023 | £162.7 million |
| 31 March 2024 | £144.0 million |
| 31 March 2025 | £126.8 million |
| 31 March 2026 | £161.2 million |
Dorset: borrowing and investments
| Date | Borrowing | Investments |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2020 | £216.0 million | £143.7 million |
| 31 March 2021 | £220.0 million | £164.8 million |
| 31 March 2022 | £181.1 million | £226.1 million |
| 31 March 2023 | £198.4 million | £112.8 million |
| 31 March 2024 | £224.6 million | £82.7 million |
| 31 March 2025 | £292.5 million | £59.1 million |
| 31 March 2026 | £314.7 million | £33.6 million |
Dorset: Band D by year
| Year | Area Band D | Council's own Band D |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | £2,037.59 | £1,629.75 |
| 2020-21 | £2,118.86 | £1,694.79 |
| 2021-22 | £2,223.01 | £1,779.39 |
| 2022-23 | £2,290.20 | £1,832.67 |
| 2023-24 | £2,387.81 | £1,905.93 |
| 2024-25 | £2,503.63 | £2,001.15 |
| 2025-26 | £2,630.30 | £2,101.05 |
| 2026-27 | £2,765.02 | £2,205.90 |
Dorset figures as CSV · What each figure measures
Dorset council tax bands, 2026-27
Worked out from Band D (£2,765.02) at the proportions in section 5 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992; area averages.
| Band | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Band A | £1,843.35 |
| Band B | £2,150.57 |
| Band C | £2,457.80 |
| Band D | £2,765.02 |
| Band E | £3,379.47 |
| Band F | £3,993.92 |
| Band G | £4,608.37 |
| Band H | £5,530.04 |
Who has power over Dorset
Every body that makes decisions for Dorset, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Parish, town and community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 3: Local councils
- Dorset council this page
- Dorset in official figures population, pay, house prices, crime
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
England has no devolved parliament of its own: its laws are made by the UK Parliament.
Level 6: National government
- Christchurch: Sir Christopher Chope (Conservative) MP
- Mid Dorset and North Poole: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat) MP
- North Dorset: Simon Hoare (Conservative) MP
- South Dorset: Lloyd Hatton (Labour) MP
- West Dorset: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
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 Dorset
- Dorset: local statistics
- How much has council tax gone up this year?
- How much do councils spend on adult social care?
Figures checked 15 October 2026. Link moved or figure out of date? Tell us.