More than 4 million to see mortgage costs rise, says Bank

Half of UK mortgage holders are likely to see their payments increase over the next three years, the Bank of England has said.

It estimates that about 4.4 million mortgages will see payments rise by 2027, including £500-per-month hikes for around 420,000 households.

However, about a quarter of borrowers are set to see payments fall, and the Bank said households were better equipped to cope with mortgage repayments than predicted earlier this year.

The Bank also warned that global risks to the economy have been rising, stating wars, trade tension, cyber attacks and geopolitical tensions pose "significant" risks to broader financial stability.

In its latest Financial Stability Report, the Bank said household finances had remained resilient in general.

"While many UK households, including renters, are still facing pressures from the increased cost of living and higher interest rates, the share of households who are behind in paying their mortgages is low by historical standards," it said.

"And the share of households spending a high proportion of their income on mortgage payments is expected to remain low."

Looking at the global picture, the Bank said "uncertainty around, and risks to, the global economic outlook have increased".

The Bank did not specifically mention US President-elect Donald Trump's plans to put import tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, but noted the "potential to increased global fragmentation" of trade.

It said this potential for trade fragmentation "poses risks to UK financial stability".