During this financial year, local authorities recorded a net revenue expenditure of £14,887 million to maintain essential services. Education and social work remained the primary areas of investment, representing £7,778m and £4,873m of total spending respectively.

To support the long-term infrastructure required for these services, such as the construction of schools and roads, councils incurred £4,659m in capital expenditure. This investment was largely funded through £2,101m in grants and £1,479m in new borrowing.

The report also highlights the current state of local government savings and liabilities. As of 31 March 2025, local authorities held £3,931m in usable reserves, consisting of surplus income earmarked for future requirements. However, the reliance on credit for capital projects has resulted in a total debt of £25,296m.

While councils managed to make debt repayments totalling £591m over the course of the year, the substantial scale of these long-term financial obligations remains a defining feature of the local government landscape.