A margin requirement is the deposit amount needed to gain full exposure to a trade, expressed as a percentage. Leverage shows a trade’s deposit ratio relative to the full trade amount. For example, a £10,000 trade with a margin requirement of 1% would require £100 to place that trade. The leverage ratio for this trade is 100:1, as the 100:1 expressed as a percentage is 1%. See our page on calculating margin rates for full workings.