The Office for National Statistics is consulting on whether GDP, inflation and other market-sensitive statistics should continue to be published at 07:00 or revert to the standard 09:30 slot — and the deadline for responses is 30 October 2026.
The 07:00 release time has been in place since March 2020, when the ONS adopted an alternative arrangement agreed with the Office for Statistics Regulation. Before that, 09:30 was — and technically remains — the standard time set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics. The consultation now asks whether six years of early-morning releases have actually served users well, or whether a return to the standard time, or a compromise of 08:30, would better meet public need.
Statistics covered by the review include GDP, prices data, labour-market figures, retail sales, public-sector finances, trade, balance of payments and quarterly national accounts — the numbers that move markets and shape government policy. The ONS has committed to completing its review and submitting a recommendation to the Office for Statistics Regulation by the end of 2026.
The consultation is open to anyone who uses these figures: financial-market participants, businesses, researchers, journalists and members of the public. Respondents are being asked specifically about how release times affect their ability to access, analyse and act on the data — including any effects on financial markets.
The 07:00 slot gives users a window before markets open, but the ONS is asking whether that advantage is evenly felt. Users in different time zones, or with different working arrangements, may experience the same release time very differently.
Three specific options are on the table — 07:00, 08:30 and 09:30 — though respondents can suggest other times. The ONS says responses will inform its recommendation to the regulator; no final decision has been made.
Key information
- Consultation closes: 11:59pm on 30 October 2026
- Who can respond: financial-market participants, businesses, researchers, journalists and members of the public
- Times under consideration: 07:00 (current), 08:30 and 09:30 (standard), plus any alternative respondents wish to propose
- Where to respond: via the Office for National Statistics and Cabinet Office consultation pages
Source: @ONS
ONS asks users whether key economic data should shift away from 7am release Quiz
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