19/10/2026
UK Economy Sees Unexpected Growth in August
In August, the UK economy unexpectedly grew, despite a drop in consumer spending ahead of John Healey's first budget as chancellor.
The Office for National Statistics reported that the GDP increased by 0.1% for the month, following a 0.4% rise in July. This growth defied City economists’ predictions of a 0.1% decline. With Healey's budget announcement approaching in less than two weeks, these figures offer an unexpected boost amidst the global economic turmoil caused by the Middle East conflict and rising energy costs impacting British households and businesses.
Although consumer-facing services declined by 0.3% due to increased petrol, diesel, and energy prices, the overall services sector showed no growth. The surprising GDP uptick was mainly due to a strong performance in manufacturing, which saw a 0.8% growth in the broader production sector encompassing manufacturing, mining, and energy generation, while construction output decreased by 0.2%.