Average mortgage interest rate in the UK 2010-2024, by quarter

Mortgage interest rates in the UK were on a downward trend for more than a decade before soaring in 2022. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the average weighted interest rate stood at **** percent — nearly ***** times the interest rate in the fourth quarter of 2021. Mortgage rates also vary depending on the type of mortgage: Historically, fixed rate mortgages with a shorter term had on average lower interest rates. 

What types of mortgages are there?

In terms of the type of interest rate, mortgages can be fixed and variable. A fixed interest rate is simply a mortgage where the rate of repayment is fixed, while a variable rate depends on the lender’s underlying variable interest rate. Furthermore, mortgages could be for a house purchase or for refinancing. The vast majority of mortgages in the UK are fixed rate mortgages for house purchase, and only a small share is for remortgaging.

How big is the UK mortgage market?

The UK has the largest mortgage market in Europe, amounting to nearly ***billion euros in gross residential mortgage lending as of the second quarter of 2023. When comparing the total outstanding residential mortgage lending, the UK also ranks first with about *** trillion euros.