Economics, as it happens.

U.S. real GDP grew at a 1.5% annualised rate in the second quarter of 2026, down from 2.1% in Q1, as faster consumer spending was offset by weaker government spending, investment and exports.

The July fiscal snapshot shows how tax receipts, public spending and debt interest shape the government's room for economic policy.

The latest official retail release offers a timely view of household demand as real incomes and borrowing costs pull in opposite directions.

The weak monthly reading underlines the challenge of strengthening household demand in an economy long driven by investment and exports.

New-home construction weakened, showing how interest rates and developer confidence can transmit monetary policy into the real economy.

The annual stability review links robust output and low inflation to the strength of banks, credit and the wider financial system.

The monthly fall points to softer goods spending, though annual sales remained higher and the data cover only part of household consumption.

The updated estimate showed moderate expansion across the currency union while employment continued to edge higher.

UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026, with output higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.

The latest output-per-worker evidence matters because productivity shapes real wages, business costs and the economy's non-inflationary speed limit.

June trade data provide a practical example of how overseas demand, exchange rates and domestic spending affect the current account.

UK monthly real GDP grew by 0.3% in June 2026, while output grew by 0.4% across the latest three-month period.