Story · United Kingdom · 13 Aug 2026
UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026
UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026, with output higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
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30-second read
0.4%
Quarter-on-quarter real GDP
1.2%
Year-on-year real GDP
0.6%
Previous-quarter real GDP
Exam link: Economic growth → real output → employment and incomes → living standards
Understand the storyExpand Close
The Office for National Statistics estimated that UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026, after growth of 0.6% in Quarter 1. GDP was 1.2% higher than a year earlier.
What happened
UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026. The previous quarter recorded growth of 0.6%, while the level of GDP was 1.2% higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Why it matters
Quarterly GDP gives a broader view of UK economic performance than a single monthly estimate. Persistent growth or contraction affects employment, incomes, business confidence and policy choices.
Economic context
For A-Level Economics, this is strong UK evidence for economic growth, living standards, cyclical performance and government and central-bank policy. Compare quarter-on-quarter growth with the annual comparison to avoid overstating short-term movements.
All key dataExpand Close
- Year-on-year real GDP
- 1.2%
- Previous-quarter real GDP
- 0.6%
- Quarter-on-quarter real GDP
- 0.4%
Terms explainedExpand Close
Real GDP
The value of output after adjusting for inflation, so changes reflect the amount produced rather than just higher prices.
Quarter-on-quarter
A comparison with the immediately previous three-month period, rather than with the same quarter a year earlier.
Use it in an examExpand Close
Evidence
UK real GDP grew by 0.4% in Quarter 2 2026, with output higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Explain
Quarterly GDP gives a broader view of UK economic performance than a single monthly estimate. Persistent growth or contraction affects employment, incomes, business confidence and policy choices.
Evaluate
For A-Level Economics, this is strong UK evidence for economic growth, living standards, cyclical performance and government and central-bank policy. Compare quarter-on-quarter growth with the annual comparison to avoid overstating short-term movements.
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