Sterling government debt
UK Gilts
UK 10-year gilt: 5.25% as of 9 September 2026 · Bank of England IUDMNZC. Methodology
Gilts are bonds issued by the UK Debt Management Office for HM Treasury. A conventional gilt pays a fixed sterling coupon twice a year and repays £100 of face value on a stated maturity date. Index-linked gilts scale those cash flows with a published inflation index; green gilts are still UK credit, with a use-of-proceeds label.
The 10-year gilt yield is the rate UK mortgages, defined-benefit pensions and sterling credit spread off. We print the Bank of England’s IUDMNZC series on the live board, with the observation date on the card — not an undated screenshot.
These pages explain mechanics: auctions, dirty versus clean price, duration, and how gilts differ from NS&I products and from dollar Treasuries. They are not a dealing service.
- 1What Are UK Gilts? A Complete Beginner's GuideUK gilts are sterling bonds issued by HM Treasury. Learn how they work, who issues them and why investors hold them.
- 2How Do UK Government Bonds Work?A gilt has a coupon, a maturity date and a market price. This guide walks through cash flows from purchase to redemption.
- 3How to Buy UK GiltsYou can buy gilts via a broker, a stocks-and-shares ISA, a gilt fund or, in some cases, the DMO’s purchase service.
- 4UK Gilt Yields ExplainedGilt yields are the market’s required sterling return. See how running yield and yield to maturity differ — with dated snapshot figures.
- 5UK Gilt Prices ExplainedGilt prices are quoted per £100 face value. Clean price, dirty price and accrued interest all matter when you trade.
- 6UK Gilts vs Savings AccountsCompare gilt yields and cash deposits: FSCS protection, price risk, ISA wrappers and what happens if you need money early.
- 7UK Gilts vs StocksGilts offer contractual coupons; equities offer residual profits. See how risk, income and drawdowns differ.
- 8UK Gilts vs US TreasuriesSterling gilts versus dollar Treasuries: currency, yield, liquidity and central-bank policy.
- 9What Are Index-Linked Gilts?Index-linked gilts adjust coupons and principal with UK inflation. Learn RPI lag, real yield and when linkers help.
- 10What Are Green Gilts?Green gilts fund eligible environmental projects under the UK’s green financing framework. Credit risk remains UK sovereign.
- 11What Happens When a UK Gilt Matures?At maturity the DMO repays par (plus any index uplift for linkers). Brokers usually credit cash automatically.
- 12How Is a Gilt's Yield Calculated?Yield to maturity solves for the discount rate that equates a gilt’s dirty price to its remaining cash flows.
- 13What Is Gilt Duration?Duration measures how sensitive a gilt’s price is to yield changes. Longer gilts move more when the BoE shifts rates.
- 14Why Do Gilt Prices Rise and Fall?Gilt prices fall when required yields rise — and vice versa. Supply, inflation, growth and BoE policy all move the curve.
- 15How Interest Rates Affect UK GiltsBank Rate, expected future rates and term premium all feed into gilt yields. Duration decides how violently prices react.
- 16How Inflation Affects UK GiltsHigher inflation typically lifts gilt yields and hurts conventional gilt prices. Linkers behave differently.
- 17Short-Term vs Long-Term UK GiltsShort gilts have less duration risk; long gilts offer more price volatility and, often, more yield. UK pensions famously hold the longs.
- 18Fixed-Rate vs Index-Linked GiltsConventional gilts pay a known sterling coupon; linkers pay a real coupon plus inflation uplift. Choose by inflation view and liability type.
- 19Understanding UK Gilt Maturity DatesEach gilt has a final redemption date. The DMO names issues by coupon and year — for example 4¼% Treasury Gilt 2034.
- 20UK Gilt Coupon Payments ExplainedMost gilts pay coupons semi-annually. Accrued interest, ex-dividend dates and tax treatment all affect what you keep.
- 21What Is a Gilt Auction?The DMO sells gilts mainly by auction to GEMMs. Yields at auction are a public signal of demand.
- 22Who Buys UK Government Gilts?Pension funds, insurers, overseas official accounts, banks, the Bank of England (when it holds QE stock) and households all appear in DMO ownership data.
- 23Are UK Gilts Considered Safe?Gilts have very low credit risk in sterling, but they are not risk-free in real or mark-to-market terms.
- 24UK Gilts and Bank of England Interest RatesBank Rate sets the floor for sterling cash. Gilt yields embed the path of Bank Rate the market expects, not only today’s setting.
- 25How to Compare Different UK GiltsCompare coupon, maturity, yield, duration, linker vs conventional, and green vs conventional — using a dated data table.