UK economy grows 0.7% in third quarter
Britain's gross domestic product rose 0.7% in the third quarter, the Office for National Statistics reported, up from a revised 0.5% in the second quarter. GDP was 1.9% higher than a year earlier and grew 0.2% in September after flatlining in August. Services output, led by computer programming and consultancy, drove the gain, while manufacturing grew 0.9% over the three months to September. Construction output fell 0.7%. Finance minister John Healey said Britain showed strong resilience despite the Middle East conflict.
Key facts
- Third-quarter growth was the fastest since the first quarter of 2024, per the statistics office.
- Firms with the largest turnover increases work in artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
- Computer programming was the largest driver of GDP growth across 2026, though its exact impact is hard to measure.
- Computer, electronic and optical product output rose 4.6%, supporting manufacturing growth.
Summarised with AI from 2 sources · Updated 20:41Read our AI policy
Why it matters
Growth is now being led by services and technology firms rather than production or construction.
What changed
Asharq Al-Awsat joined as a source
First published from Euronews