Money is 'bigger taboo subject' than sex, politics and religion for British public

Borrowing money, failing to pay someone back and having to remind someone of their debt 'cause Britons most discomfort'

Ninety-two per cent of people said they would be uncomfortable asking to borrow money (Getty)

Money is a more uncomfortable subject for the British public to talk about than sex, a survey has revealed.

UK citizens, who have often been cast as socially "repressed", would rather talk about traditionally taboo topics such as politics, religion and sexual relations than money, according to Totallymoney.com.

Questions about salary, borrowing money, pay rises and debt make a majority of the nation uncomfortable and even cause people to be dishonest about their finances, the survey of 2,000 people revealed.

More than one in five British people has lied about their salary, with men the significantly worse offenders at 24 per cent, compared to 16 per cent of women.

Borrowing money, meanwhile, is the monetary request most likely to cause social discomfort - with a significant 92 per cent of respondent avoiding talking about it.

Alastair Douglas, chief executive of TotallyMoney.com, said this was because relationships themselves were under threat when people were indebted to each other.

"Asking to borrow money from friends or family makes us uncomfortable because we attach additional emotional weight to the transaction," he said.

"We recognise that there is far more than just the money at stake."

Other high-ranking money encounters that cause Britons to get hot under the collar are:

1. Asking to borrow money (92 per cent) 
2. Someone failing to pay back money they've borrowed (91 per cent)
3. Having to remind someone to pay back money they've borrowed (87 per cent)
4. A stranger asking how much you earn (87 per cent)
5. Bumping into someone you owe money to (85 per cent)
6. Splitting the bill equally in restaurants regardless of who ordered what (82 per cent)
7. A stranger asking how much debt you're in (78 per cent)
8. Someone asking to borrow money from you (78 per cent)
9. A colleague asking how much debt you're in (73 per cent)
10. Asking for a service charge to be removed from the bill in a restaurant (72 per cent)

The list shows that the British public particularly does not like negotiating debt, with most people saying they would rather talk about sex, ideology or faith than their savings.

People were more comfortable with being asked about their rent or mortgage, with only 52 per cent finding this question from colleagues difficult.

Under a third found it inappropriate to say how much they spend on holiday, on a watch or on buying their home.

But boasting did not extend to the boardroom, where 70 per cent of Britons still find it uncomfortable negotiating a pay rise.