Borrowing Data

Borrowing statistics in East Lothian 2026

Last updated November 2026 · Data to mid-2025 · East Lothian

Borrowing estimates for East Lothian, built from published survey rates and population figures.

76,600

Credit or loan holders

An estimated 76,600 adults in East Lothian held at least one credit or loan product in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 83% of adults in Scotland held at least one credit or loan product (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

58,100

Credit card holders

An estimated 58,100 adults in East Lothian held a credit card in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 63% of adults in Scotland held a credit card (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

19,400

Overdraft users

An estimated 19,400 adults in East Lothian were overdrawn on a current account in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 21% of adults in Scotland were overdrawn on a current account (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

24,000

Residential mortgage holders

An estimated 24,000 adults in East Lothian had a residential mortgage in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 26% of adults in Scotland had a residential mortgage (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

18,400

Buy now, pay later users

An estimated 18,400 adults in East Lothian used buy now, pay later credit in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 20% of adults in Scotland used buy now, pay later credit (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

5,720

High-cost credit users

An estimated 5,720 adults in East Lothian held high-cost credit in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 6.2% of adults in Scotland held high-cost credit (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

21,200

Low financial resilience

An estimated 21,200 adults in East Lothian had low financial resilience in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 23% of adults in Scotland had low financial resilience (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

7,380

In financial difficulty

An estimated 7,380 adults in East Lothian were in financial difficulty in 2024.

Source: Estimate from FCA Financial Lives 2024 and ONS mid-2024 population estimates, Borrowing Data, 2024

Estimate: 8% of adults in Scotland were in financial difficulty (FCA Financial Lives 2024, adults aged 18 and over) applied to 92,234 adults aged 18 and over in East Lothian (ONS mid-2024 population estimates, single-year ages summed).

96,436

Residents aged 16 and over

The estimated population aged 16 and over in East Lothian was 96,436 at mid-2025.

Source: Population estimates - local authority based by single year of age (Nomis NM_2002_1), mid-year estimates, Office for National Statistics, 30 June 2025

ONS mid-2025 population estimates (published 29 July 2026 for England and Wales; Scotland and Northern Ireland as carried in the same Nomis table), local authority boundaries as of April 2023, usual residents, as returned by the Nomis 'Aged 16+' category.

Key points

An estimated 76,600 adults in East Lothian held at least one credit or loan product in 2024. An estimated 58,100 adults in East Lothian held a credit card in 2024. An estimated 19,400 adults in East Lothian were overdrawn on a current account in 2024.

Frequently asked questions

How many adults in East Lothian held at least one credit or loan product in 2024?

An estimated 76,600 adults in East Lothian held at least one credit or loan product in 2024.

How many adults in East Lothian held a credit card in 2024?

An estimated 58,100 adults in East Lothian held a credit card in 2024.

How many adults in East Lothian were overdrawn on a current account in 2024?

An estimated 19,400 adults in East Lothian were overdrawn on a current account in 2024.