What is the UK trade deficit?

The UK imports more than it exports, so it runs a trade deficit. In the three months to July 2026 the total goods and services deficit was £9.0 billion, narrowing by £1.1 billion on the previous three months, according to the ONS UK trade bulletin published on 11 September 2026. That combined a £61.6 billion deficit in goods with a £52.6 billion surplus in services.

The ONS publishes UK trade monthly, about six weeks after the month ends; the next release was due on 15 October 2026. Headline figures exclude precious metals such as gold, because trading in them is large and erratic.

A trade deficit is not the same as the government's budget deficit, which is about public borrowing. Check whether a figure is monthly, three-monthly or annual, and whether it includes precious metals. The wider measure is the current account.

Official sources: ONS: UK trade (latest) · ONS: total trade balance time series (IKBJ)

The latest figure

The newest value is at Office for National Statistics (ONS). More on it: UK current account balance.

When is the next figure out?

Quarterly, with the quarterly national accounts about three months after the quarter ends, 7am; next release 22 December 2026

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Current account (balance of payments)
  The UK's net position on trade in goods and services, plus income flows such as investment earnings and transfers with the rest of the world.
• Balance of trade
  The value of a country's exports minus its imports. A negative balance is a trade deficit.
• Nominal GDP
  Gross domestic product measured at current prices, without adjusting for inflation. Used for debt-to-GDP and spending-to-GDP ratios.
• Revisions
  Changes to previously published figures, made when more complete data, improved methods or updated seasonal factors become available. A normal part of official statistics.
• Cash terms
  A money figure stated at the prices of the time it refers to, with no adjustment for inflation. Also called nominal terms.
• Seasonally adjusted
  Figures that have had regular calendar patterns removed, such as Christmas shopping or summer jobs, so that underlying movements between months or quarters can be seen.

Where the figures come from

• UK trade statistics (ONS, HMRC uktradeinfo and Department for Business and Trade)
  Where to find official UK trade figures: the ONS trade bulletin and balance of payments, HMRC uktradeinfo by product code, and DBT country factsheets.

Related questions

• What is the UK current account deficit?
• What does the UK export the most?
• How much is the UK government borrowing?

This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about trade, exports and brexit: all Trade, exports and Brexit questions.