Bank of England

Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom

The Bank of England (BoE) is the central bank of the United Kingdom. Its main headquarters is located in Threadneedle Street, London, and its activity is aimed at promoting the good of the people of the country by maintaining monetary and financial stability. The entity presents itself as responsible for issuing banknotes, implementing monetary policy and overseeing the stability of the British financial system.

Monetary policy and inflation targets

The bank manages monetary policy with a 2% inflation target. Its instruments include the official interest rate (Bank Rate), quantitative easing and quantitative tightening. The site shows an official interest rate of 3.75% and an inflation rate of 3.1%, with the next review scheduled for 5 November 2026. It also offers an inflation calculator and publishes information on interest rates and the Bank Rate.

Banknote issuance and cash management

The entity issues and manages banknotes in circulation. Its information catalogue includes current banknotes, withdrawn banknotes, counterfeit banknotes, damaged or contaminated banknotes and the exchange of old banknotes. It also covers the Note Circulation Scheme, advice for retailers and businesses, Scottish and Northern Ireland banknotes, the use of banknote images and wholesale cash supervision. At the time of the analysis, the bank had announced the four animals that will feature on its next banknote series: the puffin, the owl, the bumblebee and the hedgehog. It also maintains the Banknote Checking Scheme to help businesses protect themselves against counterfeit banknotes.

Financial stability and prudential regulation

The bank works on identifying risks to financial stability and adopting policy measures to safeguard the resilience of the UK financial system. This area includes the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS), financial market infrastructure supervision, operational resilience of the financial sector, resolution and the Trade Repository (TR). Prudential regulation covers authorisations, the New Bank Start-up Unit, the New Insurer Start-up Unit, the Prudential and Resolution Policy Index, regulatory reporting, our secondary objectives and supervision, as well as the bank's approach to enforcement.

Markets, payments and the financial system

In the area of markets, the bank publishes the Bank of England Market Operations Guide, eligible collateral, information on fair and effective markets, foreign currency reserves, the Greening our Corporate Bond Purchase Scheme (CBPS), market intelligence, the Money Markets Committee and the UK Money Markets Code, settlement and collateral management, the SONIA interest rate benchmark and the transition from LIBOR to risk-free rates. In payments, it covers banking services, CHAPS, payment and settlement and payments innovation.

Research, statistics and education

The entity develops a research agenda for 2025-2028, with attention to fintech and the Research Visitor Programme, research funding and fellowships. It publishes statistics on banknotes, Bankstats tables, data collection, exchange rates, gold statistics, research datasets and yield curves. In education, it offers explainers, education resources, the Money and me programme and the Centre for Central Banking Studies, as well as competitions, a research support programme and the possibility of requesting a speaker for schools.

Publications, speeches and institutional activity

The bank disseminates news, minutes, publications, speeches and statistical releases, and organises events. Featured content includes Andrew Bailey's speech entitled "Financial resilience in an age of repeated shocks", delivered at the Central Bank of Turkey's İstanbul Economic Forum; the Financial Policy Committee Record for September 2026; and Dave Ramsden's speech "Quantitative tightening: the next chapter", delivered at the bank itself and co-hosted by the Money, Macro and Finance Society. It also publishes the bank's weekly report and documents related to the Treasury Select Committee.

Governance bodies and structure

The organisation includes the Court of Directors, the Governors, the Monetary Policy Committee, the Financial Policy Committee, the Prudential Regulation Committee and the Financial Market Infrastructure Committee, as well as the Chief Cashiers, the Executive Directors and the Agents. The bank has a careers programme covering application tips, the Career Returner Programme, future talent, our locations, research careers and its approach to diversity and inclusion.

Museum and locations

The Bank of England Museum is located in Bartholomew Lane, London. The museum organises activities such as the session "After the Fire: a Museum late" scheduled for 15 October 2026. The bank's main headquarters is in Threadneedle Street, London.

Locations and premises

Main location: Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AH

Museum location: Bartholomew Lane, London, EC2R 8AH