Ann McGauran 20 January 2026

CIPFA: Councils' demand and deficit risks deepen

Councils are holding higher debt levels and lower usable reserves, leaving the system more leveraged overall, a key financial index has revealed today.

External debt across English local authorities rose 10% to £106.9bn in 2025, while usable reserves declined by 4% over the same period, according to the 2025 CIPFA and Infoshare+ Financial Resilience Index.

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#Debt #Reserves #Finance

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