Key facts
- UK real gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.6% in Quarter 1 (January to March) 2026.
- This follows revised growth of 0.2% in Quarter 4 2025.
- The services sector was the largest contributor to the growth, expanding by 0.8%.
- GDP is estimated to have increased by an unrevised 1.4% annually in 2025.
- Real GDP per head increased by 0.6% in Quarter 1 2026.
Britain's economy grew by 0.6% in the January-to-March period of 2026, as confirmed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This figure matched the provisional estimate and the expectations of economists polled by Reuters. The growth was supported by all three economic sectors, with the services sector showing the largest contribution at 0.8%.
Revised figures indicate that GDP grew by 0.2% in the previous quarter (October to December 2025). Annually, GDP is estimated to have increased by 1.4% in 2025. Real GDP per head saw an increase of 0.6% in the first quarter of 2026 and is up 0.9% compared to the same quarter a year prior. The ONS also noted that revisions have been made to data from Quarter 1 2024 to Quarter 4 2025, reflecting updated source data and seasonal adjustment factors.