How are ‘bankrupt’ France’s borrowing costs still lower than ours? Despite these woes, its borrowing costs remain lower than the UK’s. Why are the UK’s borrowing costs so high? Economists agree that – were one purely to look at the reliability of the borrower – France’s borrowing costs should be higher than Britain’s. Helen Thomas, the chief executive at political economy analysis shop Blonde Money, pointed to three other factors that might also be helping keep a lid on France’s borrowing costs.