UK Bank Stats: a fascinating portrait of life

I just got a copy of the BBA’s Annual Abstract of Banking Statistics.

Fascinating stuff, and the data shows a real insight into the way we are living our
lives. 

For example, every ten minutes:

• 35,000 people use the internet to check their bank account balance
  or statement on-line,

• 4,500 people are paying bills via an internet or
  telephone service;

• 10 people open basic bank accounts, to be accessed in branches or
  post offices, as part of the work between the banks and the government
  to improve financial inclusion in the UK;

• £3.2 million in cash is withdrawn by 48,000 people visiting a UK
  ATM;

• 38,000 retail credit card purchases are made by card holders in the
  UK;

• clearing systems process 18,000 cheques, 107,000 automated payments
  and 151,000 plastic card payments;

• banks earn £591,000 for the UK’s balance of payments; and

• banks receive £378,000 from households for safe-keeping and approve
  19 mortgages worth over £2 million.

Some other interesting stats here as the data shows that, for the UK’s main high street banks:

• the banks’ aggregate balance sheet rose by 11% to £4.1 trillion in 2009;

• total deposits rose by 3½% including a £6.8 billion inflow (+7%) into cash ISAs, which stand at £98 billion;

• sterling deposits from the UK public and private sectors, of £1.5 trillion, comprise 41% from individuals, 41% from private non-bank financial corporations, 13% from private non-financial corporations and 2% from other sources;

• after allowing for securitisations and write-offs, net lending fell by £11.6 billion in 2009, reflecting reduced demand and higher repayments for credit cards;

• annual net mortgage lending was just £8 billion in 2009 and new mortgage lending in 2009 was 37% lower than in 2008 with the number of loans approved falling to just under one million;

• total bank mortgage lending of £36 billion was virtually offset by a collapse in lending by building societies and other lenders who saw repayments or transfers of existing lending completely outweighing any new lending;

• 46,000 properties were possessed in 2009 – equivalent to 42 properties in every 10,000 mortgages - 15% more than in the 2008 and the highest annual total since 1995; and

• loans written-off rose by £6 billion in 2009, reflecting deteriorating trading conditions in the UK economy despite the recession coming to an end.