The ONS said gross domestic product grew by 0.5% month-on-month in February following upwardly revised growth of 0.1% in January.
The UK economy grew at its fastest pace for more than a year during February in a better-than-expected start to the year, official figures have shown.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 0.5% month-on-month in February following upwardly revised growth of 0.1% in January.
Most economists had forecast GDP to rise by just 0.1% in February, while the ONS had previously estimated no growth in January.
GDP grew 0.5% in the three months to February 2026. Services (+0.5%) and production (+1.2%) both increased, but construction (-2.0%) fell.
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— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) April 16, 2026
But the figures come amid forecasts that Britain’s output will be hardest hit this year by the fallout from the Iran war and soaring energy costs.
A stark economic outlook report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this week that showed the UK facing the biggest downgrade to growth among the G7 group of countries, with 0.8% forecast for 2026, down sharply from the 1.3% predicted in January.
