UK economy grew 0.7% in the third quarter of 2026
UK GDP rose by 0.7% in the July to September 2026 quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics' first estimate published on 12 November 2026. That is faster than the growth recorded in the previous two quarters.
Author: Thames Compass editorial teamPublished: 2 min read
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on 12 November 2026 that real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.7% in the third quarter of 2026 (July to September) compared with the previous quarter.
Earlier, the ONS reported growth of 0.5% in the second quarter (April to June) and 0.6% in the first quarter of this year. GDP is also estimated to be 1.9% higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
What drove the growth
Services grew fastest, by 0.9%, particularly business-facing services. Production rose by 0.1%, while construction fell by 0.7%. According to the ONS, household spending and investment were the main contributors.
Nominal GDP, which is not adjusted for inflation, rose by 1.4% in the quarter and by 4.3% over the year. Real GDP per head grew by 0.7% on the quarter and by 1.7% on the year.
In its November 2026 Monetary Policy Report, the Bank of England said growth had been much stronger than its July projection. It pointed to business investment as one of the main drivers.
Caveats
These are first estimates. The ONS regularly revises figures for earlier quarters, and fuller estimates are due on 22 December 2026.
What this means for you
The GDP figure does not by itself change rules on residence, work, tax, benefits or NHS services. It is a broad measure of the economy's health, and its effect on individuals depends on how the labour market, prices and interest rates develop.
Sources
This article was prepared with the help of AI from the listed sources and checked by our editors before publication.
Photos
- Cover: „financial, analytics, blur, business, close-up”, author: 6689062, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
- Photo 1: „skyline, city, city skyline, docklands, southbank”, author: TheOtherKev, licence Pixabay Content License; cropped or resized.
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