As part of the ING Direct Consumer Savings Monitor quarterly tracking, we ask survey recipients to record their current level of outstanding unsecured debts from credit cards, overdrafts, personal loans and hire-purchase agreements. Outstanding debts refer to those remaining after bills have been paid (so credit paid off in full each month would not be included). Using this data we produce a mean average. In tracking debt levels, the mean average gives a better indication of average debt levels among UK people than the median. This is because the distribution of debt is considerably different to that of.
