Ahead of the next premium bond draw next Tuesday, the team at OLBG.com decided to look at this year’s previous prize winners to rank the UK counties with the highest chances of winning. And the results will surprise you!
Are premium bonds biased based on where you live, or is it simple luck? Our study found that southern counties had the highest chance of winning in premium draws compared to other counties and home nations. Let’s crunch the numbers:
The counties with the best chances of winning:
| Rank | County | Number of Winners | Total Winnings (last 12 months) | Chances of Winning | 6 month change (%) |
| 1 | Essex | 10,263 | £30,262,000 | 4.04% | 0.20 |
| 2 | Kent | 9,216 | £27,641,000 | 3.63% | 0.15 |
| 3 | Hampshire And Isle Of Wight | 9,134 | £26,728,000 | 3.60% | 0.19 |
| 4 | Surrey | 8,493 | £25,832,000 | 3.35% | 0.11 |
| 5 | Outer London | 8,132 | £26,352,000 | 3.20% | 0.05 |
| 6 | Inner London | 6,820 | £19,878,000 | 2.69% | 0.13 |
| 7 | Hertfordshire | 6,753 | £20,680,000 | 2.66% | 0.11 |
| 8 | Devon | 6,352 | £19,233,000 | 2.50% | 0.04 |
| 9 | West Sussex | 6,015 | £18,596,000 | 2.37% | 0.04 |
| 10 | Dorset | 5,240 | £14,766,000 | 2.06% | 0 |
| 11 | Wales | 4,630 | £12,624,000 | 1.82% | -0.05 |
| 12 | Buckinghamshire | 4,357 | £12,845,000 | 1.72% | 0.03 |
| 13 | Suffolk | 4,293 | £12,694,000 | 1.69% | -0.01 |
| 14 | Lancashire | 4,153 | £12,120,000 | 1.64% | 0.03 |
| 15 | Wiltshire | 3,952 | £11,355,000 | 1.56% | 0.05 |
| 16 | Hereford And Worcester | 3,828 | £10,387,000 | 1.51% | 0.04 |
| 17 | Cambridgeshire | 3,716 | £10,720,000 | 1.46% | 0.01 |
| 18 | Derbyshire | 3,692 | £10,405,000 | 1.45% | 0.03 |
| 19 | Gloucestershire | 3,615 | £12,645,000 | 1.42% | 0.01 |
| 20 | East Sussex | 3,597 | £10,779,000 | 1.42% | 0.01 |
Essex is the county with the most winners in the past year. In the last year, over ten thousand people have won a prize, amounting to a whopping £30.2M in winnings. This gives them a 4.04% chance of winning, which is +0.20 higher than six months ago. Only Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have a comparable increase in winning chances (+0.19).
Kent ranks second with a 3.63% of winning. In the past year, over nine thousand winners have come from Kent, racking an impressive £37.6M. They are also the second county that has invested the most (£435.3M) behind Essex and have seen their chances increase a further 0.15% in the last six months (up from 3.63%).
Hampshire and Isle of Wight completes the top 3 with a 3.60% chance of winning (up 0.19 since November), thanks to 9,134 prizes won in the last year, adding up to £26.72M in winnings.
Interestingly, only one northern county ranks in the Top 20. Lancashire (14th) with £12.1M in winnings. The next northern county on the list is Greater Manchester sitting in 22nd place with 3,570 winners in the past year for a total of £10,2M in winnings, whilst Lincolnshire ranks 25th.
Looking at the home countries, Wales (4,630 winners, £12.6M in total winnings) has the best win record, placing 11th overall. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland ranked 41st with 2,380 winners and an estimated £6.4M in winnings. Interestingly, Australia is also included in the list with 271 winners in the past year, for a total of £682,000 in winnings.
What is the best time to purchase bonds?
Now that we know which areas have the best chances of winning, we wanted to find out which months and years give the best chances of winning, based on historical data.
| Rank | Year | Number of Winners |
| 1 | 2023 | 32,771 |
| 2 | 2021 | 30,562 |
| 3 | 2020 | 26,869 |
| 4 | 2022 | 25,507 |
| 5 | 2024 | 25,071 |
| 6 | 2019 | 14,741 |
| 7 | 2018 | 12,785 |
| 8 | 2017 | 11,964 |
| 9 | 2016 | 11,794 |
| 10 | 2015 | 10,483 |
In the last 12 months, 2023 is the year that yielded the most wins across the UK, with a total of 32,771 winners. In contrast, last year, “only” 25,507 premium bond holders received a price, 7K less than the best performing month. Interestingly, two bonds, bought back in 1956, saw their winners cash in after 68 years of waiting.
So far, 383 people having purchased a premium bond in 2025 have received a price, and following the current trend, it is expected to rise towards Summer. Now that we know that 2023 is the year with the best chances of winning, let’s delve into the best months:
| Rank | Month | Number of Winners |
| 1 | January | 23,408 |
| 2 | October | 23,317 |
| 3 | March | 22,570 |
| 4 | July | 21,667 |
| 5 | June | 21,554 |
| 6 | August | 21,262 |
| 7 | November | 21,253 |
| 8 | September | 20,824 |
| 9 | February | 20,691 |
| 10 | April | 20,586 |
| 11 | May | 19,377 |
| 12 | December | 17,347 |
In the last year, bonds purchased in January have seen 23,408 Brits win a prize, only 84 more than October. Interestingly, the month of March came third, therefore, if you are looking to invest in premium bonds, now may be the right time. Conversely, April and May both rank as the second and third-worst months based on the number of winners.
Moreover, bonds purchased during summer (June to August) tend to yield a good return for Brits, with over 21K winners in the last 12 months.
