UK late payment statistics
UK late payment statistics and source links.
Official UK figures on payment times, late invoices and the effect on small businesses, with the source and reporting period kept beside each number.
Latest official figures
What the current UK sources report.
15%of invoices were paid late by large UK businesses in 2025. The official series reports 25% in 2018.
32 dayswas the average time large UK businesses took to pay suppliers in 2025.
57%of SME employers that gave trade credit considered late payment a problem in the 2024 Longitudinal Small Business Survey.
17%was the mean share of payments received late in the Department for Business and Trade's 2024 business survey.
These sources cover different business populations and reporting periods. Do not combine them into one market-wide rate.
Useful official guidance.
- GOV.UK late commercial payments guidance
- GOV.UK money claim interest guidance
- Bank of England Bank Rate
- Small Business Commissioner FAQs
- Department for Business and Trade late-payments collection
Check the source again before quoting a rate or figure in client work. Bank Rate and policy guidance can change.
SHVL context.
SHVL is not a research body or debt collection agency. It provides a reviewable chase pack for UK B2B overdue invoices: editable Word letters, openable email drafts, Excel calculation log, and README.