Services and production both expanded between July and September, though construction contracted for the period despite a late recovery in September.
The UK economy grew by 0.7 per cent in the third quarter of 2026 (July to September) compared with the second quarter, according to first estimates published by the Office for National Statistics on 12 November 2026. That is stronger than the 0.5 per cent recorded in Quarter 2, and the figures show output was 1.9 per cent higher than in the same quarter a year earlier.
Growth was far from uniform across sectors. Services, the largest part of the UK economy, expanded by 0.9 per cent over the quarter, making the biggest positive contribution to overall growth. Production edged up by 0.1 per cent. Construction, though, fell by 0.7 per cent across the quarter as a whole. Monthly construction output had fallen four months in a row before a 0.8 per cent monthly recovery in September.
On the spending side, the ONS said growth in the quarter was mainly driven by household consumption and investment. Household spending rose by 0.6 per cent and gross fixed capital formation, which covers investment in assets such as machinery, equipment and buildings, rose by 1.7 per cent. Government consumption was also up 0.6 per cent, and business investment grew by 0.4 per cent.
Month by month, the picture within Quarter 3 was uneven. GDP grew by 0.4 per cent in July, showed no growth in August, then picked up again with 0.2 per cent growth in September.
The ONS is clear that these are preliminary figures. As a first estimate, the data may be revised when more complete information becomes available, which is standard practice for GDP releases.
Source: @ONS