London, the South East and East of England all paid more tax than than they received back in government expenditure in the financial year ending 2016 with all other countries and regions of the UK having net fiscal deficits, according to Office for National Statistics data.
London had the highest net fiscal surplus per person at £3,070 and Northern Ireland the highest net fiscal deficit per person at £5,440, in 2016.
London also raised the most revenue per person, in 2016, at £15,750 with Wales and the North East raising the least revenue per person at £7,980 and £8,200 respectively.
Northern Ireland and Scotland attracted the highest expenditure per person, 2016, at £14,020 and £13,050 respectively, with the lowest expenditure per person attributed to the South East and East of England at £10,580 and £10,590 per person.
Meanwhile lower consumer spending and a consequent fall in VAT receipts led to an increase in public sector net borrowing (excluding public sector banks) increased by £1.2bn to £10.4bn in April 2017, compared with April 2016; this is the highest April borrowing since 2014.
Public sector net debt (excluding both public sector banks and Bank of England) was £1.5trn at the end of April 2017, equivalent to 79.5 per cent of GDP; an increase of £31.5bn (or a decrease of 1.6 percentage points as a ratio of GDP) on April 2016.
Central government net cash requirement was in surplus by £16.2bn in April 2017; largely due to the sale of £11.8bn of Bradford & Bingley loans to Prudential plc.
Commenting on the high level of public sector borrowing, Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "The UK continues to rack up a considerable amount of debt each year, and while the pace of increases is slowing, the debt pile is still getting bigger.
"The UK's fiscal position is also vulnerable to a consumer slowdown, because that will mean lower tax receipts, and with inflation rising faster than wages, that looks like it could be on the cards."
