The Quarterly Bulletin for June 1962 contained estimates of the distribution of the National Debt by type of holder during the years 1958 to 1961. Similar information for 1962 is now available and is given in the table on the opposite page together with revised figures for 1961.
As before, the table divides the total debt (including stocks issued by the nationalised industries and guaranteed by H.M. Government) between "official holdings" and "market holdings"; the latter, which include overseas official holdings, are then analysed by type of holder. Brief definitions of some of the categories are given below; fuller notes and definitions will be found in the June 1962 Bulletin. The estimates still contain a number of imperfections (for example, some figures relate to dates other than the 31st March and some holdings are shown at market or book, rather than nominal, value) and the analysis remains far from complete.
Distribution of the national debt