1、ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTThe UK FinancialServices Sector HasLost Its EdgeHeresHow to Win It BackBy Saurabh Tripathi,Dean Frankle,Raoul Ruparel,Mohamad Kobrosly,Zane Jamal,ErikaWilliams,Ritvij Singh,and Alice von WedelARTICLE MAY 25,2026Executive Summary2026 Boston Consulting Group1While the UKs financial
2、 services sector continues to appear a world leader onthe surface,analysis beyond superficial metrics reveals fifteen years ofunderperformance.The virtuous circle where a thriving financial sector feedslending,investment and productivity growth across the economy has brokendown.The sector that once
3、drove UK productivity growth now actively drags itdown.Had the sector continued to grow at its pre-bubble trajectory,it would be40%larger than it is today.This equates to an additional 66 billion in output and100 billion added to the wider economy.Enduring StrengthsThe UK holds the second-largest sh
4、are of financial assets globally:Itaccounts for 7%of global assets overall,and the UKs asset managementspace has grown 7.2%per year since 2009 compared with 5.8%acrossEurope.The UK is the second-largest exporter of financial services:It hassustained a 13%15%share of global exports over the last deca
5、de,amounting to$132 billion in 2022.The UK has a vibrant fintech sector:It has created 40 unicorns in 20 years more than China,India and Brazil and fintech valuations account for 22%of UK financial services market capitalisation,compared with 13%in the US.The UK is the second-most attractive destina
6、tion for top talent globally:It attracts 8%of internationally mobile AI experts who moved to the UK in2025.Recent StrugglesBusiness lending has seized:Total lending to private non-financialcorporations has returned to levels last seen in 1998,standing at 59%ofGDP in Q3 2025,with both bank lending an