FinObservatory

Crisis atlas / GBR

United Kingdom

56 distinct crisis events in 19 episodes, 1811–2014, from the union of five primary chronologies.

Debt profile: government debt trajectory and crisis-start levels →

40
Banking crises
15
Currency crises
1
Sovereign debt crises
56
Crisis events
1811–2014
Span

Crisis timeline

Every distinct (year, type) event, most recent first, with the chronologies flagging it. Start-year sources (GMD, JST) do not mark continuation years, so long episodes show lower agreement after their first year.

  1. 2014
    Bankingrr1 source
  2. 2013
    Bankingrr1 source
  3. 2012
    Bankingrr1 source
  4. 2011
    Bankinglaeven_valencia, rr2 sources
  5. 2010
    Bankingesrb, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
  6. 2009
    Bankingesrb, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
  7. 2008
    Currencyrr1 source
    Bankingesrb, gmd, laeven_valencia, rr4 sources
  8. 2007
    Bankingesrb, jst, laeven_valencia, rr4 sources
  9. 1995
    Bankingrr1 source
  10. 1994
    Bankingesrb1 source
  11. 1993
    Currencyrr1 source
    Bankingesrb1 source
  12. 1992
    Bankingesrb1 source
  13. 1991
    Bankingesrb, gmd, jst, rr4 sources
  14. 1984
    Bankingrr1 source
  15. 1983
    Currencyrr1 source
  16. 1982
    Currencyrr1 source
  17. 1981
    Currencyrr1 source
  18. 1976
    Currencyrr1 source
    Bankingrr1 source
  19. 1975
    Currencyrr1 source
    Bankingesrb, rr2 sources
  20. 1974
    Bankingesrb, jst, rr3 sources
  21. 1973
    Bankingesrb, gmd2 sources
  22. 1967
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  23. 1949
    Currencyrr1 source
  24. 1947
    Currencyrr1 source
  25. 1946
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  26. 1939
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  27. 1932
    Sovereign debtgmd, rr2 sources
  28. 1931
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
    Bankingrr1 source
  29. 1919
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  30. 1914
    Bankinggmd1 source
  31. 1908
    Bankingrr1 source
  32. 1890
    Bankinggmd, jst, rr3 sources
  33. 1880
    Bankingrr1 source
  34. 1879
    Bankingrr1 source
  35. 1878
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  36. 1866
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  37. 1858
    Bankingrr1 source
  38. 1857
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  39. 1848
    Bankingrr1 source
  40. 1847
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  41. 1839
    Bankingrr1 source
  42. 1838
    Bankingrr1 source
  43. 1837
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  44. 1826
    Bankingrr1 source
  45. 1825
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  46. 1817
    Bankingrr1 source
  47. 1816
    Bankingrr1 source
  48. 1815
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
    Bankingrr1 source
  49. 1814
    Bankingrr1 source
  50. 1811
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) | Jordà-Schularick-Taylor Macrohistory R6 | Laeven & Valencia (2020) | Reinhart-Rogoff via HBS BFFS | ECB/ESRB Financial Crises Database Methodology

Macro context around each episode

Inflation, central-bank policy rate, and government debt in a window of five years either side of each crisis episode (consecutive crisis years bridged across gaps of up to two years). Crisis years shaded.

1811–1817

BankingCurrency
Inflation (% y/y)
-20020180618111822
Policy rate (%)
0246180618111822
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200300180618111822

1825–1826

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20-10010182018251831
Policy rate (%)
0246182018251831
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200300182018251831

1837–1839

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20-1001020183218371844
Policy rate (%)
0246183218371844
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200183218371844

1847–1848

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20020184218471853
Policy rate (%)
0246184218471853
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200184218471853

1857–1858

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-1001020185218571863
Policy rate (%)
0510185218571863
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150185218571863

1866

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-2024186118661871
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5186118661871
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100186118661871

1878–1880

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-5-2.502.5187318781885
Policy rate (%)
0246187318781885
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0255075187318781885

1890

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-4-202188518901895
Policy rate (%)
0246188518901895
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060188518901895

1908

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-2024190319081913
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5190319081913
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060190319081913

1914

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
0102030190919141919
Policy rate (%)
0246190919141919
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150190919141919

1919

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-2002040191419191924
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5191419191924
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200191419191924

1931–1932

BankingCurrencySovereign debt
Inflation (% y/y)
-505192619311937
Policy rate (%)
0246192619311937
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200192619311937

1939

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-1001020193419391944
Policy rate (%)
012193419391944
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200193419391944

1946–1949

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
051015194119461954
Policy rate (%)
024194119461954
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0100200300194119461954

1967

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
0510196219671972
Policy rate (%)
0510196219671972
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150196219671972

1973–1976

BankingCurrency
Inflation (% y/y)
0102030196819731981
Policy rate (%)
01020196819731981
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100196819731981

1981–1984

CurrencyBanking
Inflation (% y/y)
01020197619811989
Policy rate (%)
01020197619811989
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060197619811989

1991–1995

BankingCurrency
Inflation (% y/y)
0510198619912000
Policy rate (%)
051015198619912000
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060198619912000

2007–2014

BankingCurrencyFiscal cost 8.8% of GDP, output loss 25.3% of GDP (Laeven-Valencia 2026)
Inflation (% y/y)
0246200220072019
Policy rate (%)
0246200220072019
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100200220072019

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) Inflation is % year over year; policy rate is the central-bank rate in %; government debt is % of GDP. Methodology