UK interest rate forecast for the next five years
Explore the UK interest rate forecast with third‑party predictions, trends, and a five‑year outlook for projected UK interest rates.
UK interest rate forecasts can provide valuable economic insights – whether you’re trading the pound, following the Bank of England, or watching macro trends. Here’s our round-up of third-party BoE rate forecasts and predictions for 2025 and beyond.
Current UK interest rates overview
The Bank of England (BoE) base rate, known as the UK interest rate, stands at 4.00% following the latest 25 basis point cut at the August 2025 policy meeting. This marked the fifth reduction in a year, as the BoE responded to a cooling UK economy and persistent, though gradually easing, inflation.
The decision to lower rates in August was described by BoE officials as 'a gradual and careful' move, reflecting the Committee’s aim to balance risks to both growth and inflation. Notably, the vote revealed an uncommon 5-4 split within the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) – five members supported the 0.25% cut, while four voted to keep rates unchanged.
Compared to its recent 15-year high, the current rate is the lowest since mid-2022, but still well above the near-zero rates seen previously.
Daniela Hathorn, senior market analyst at Capital.com, commented: 'The fact that four MPC members voted to keep the rate unchanged was a lot less dovish than anticipated, prompting the pound to rise on the back of it.' This rare division highlights the current uncertainty over the appropriate pace and timing of further policy moves.
UK interest rate history
After holding the base rate steady at 5.25% from August 2023 through July 2024, the Bank of England enacted a series of cuts. The first reduction came in August 2024, lowering the rate by 25 basis points to 5.00%, followed by another cut to 4.75% in November. Further quarter-point reductions brought the rate to 4.50% in February 2025, 4.25% in May, and 4.00% in August 2025.Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future results.
Short-term UK interest rate forecasts
As of late-August 2025, short-term UK interest rate predictions suggested further policy easing from the Bank of England, but the pace and scale of rate cuts remained disputed among major forecasters.
In its August 2025 UK interest rate forecast, ING Think projected a gradual reduction, with the Bank of England base rate expected to fall to 3.75% by the end of 2025 and 3.50% by Q1 2026. ING anticipated the rate settling at 3.25% for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.
Fitch Ratings, in its 22 August 2025 outlook, expected UK inflation, which rose to 3.8% in July, to ease to 2.8% by end-2025, helped by wage disinflation and a 7% fall in the energy price cap. Risks remain skewed to the upside amid rising inflation expectations. Inflation was projected to average 2.2% in 2026–2027, just above the Bank of England’s 2% target. Fitch sees the policy rate cut to 3.75% by end-2025 and 3% in 2027.
Scotiabank adopted a more bearish view in its latest update, forecasting the policy rate would hit 3.75% by year-end, fall to 3.50% in early 2026 and slip to 2.75% by the end of that year.
HSBC, responding to the August rate decision, wrote: 'The BoE will continue to reduce Bank Rate at a continued 25bps-per-quarter pace, until it gets to 3.00% in Q3 2026.' HSBC expected steady easing but noted the risk of slower progress if wage growth remained elevated.
UK interest rate predictions for the next five years (2025-2030)
Most major analysts have not issued a long-term interest rate forecast for the UK.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projected in its latest outlook that the Bank of England base rate would gradually decline to around 3.5% by 2029.
The Bank of England (BoE) issued guidance up to 2028 in its August 2025 Monetary Policy Report. The BoE expected a 0.50-percentage-point reduction to 3.5% by Q3 2026, followed by incremental increases to 3.6% in 2027 and 3.7% in 2028.
Analyst forecasts are estimates based on available information. Predictions may be inaccurate, and can’t account for unforeseen market events.
Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator of future results.