Trends in UK real GDP per head: 2022 to 2024

19th October 2024

The rate of increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) per head has slowed in recent years as the population has increased at a faster rate than the volume of output produced.

In Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2024, real GDP per head was 0.6% below its pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level, while total real GDP was 2.9% above its pre-pandemic levels.

The UK population is estimated to have increased by an average of 1% per year in 2022 and 2023, which reflected higher immigration from non-EU nationals; this was the fastest pace of UK population growth in over 75 years.

The decline in real GDP per head in 2023 was mostly caused by a slower pace of hourly productivity and lower average hours worked.

We plan to carry out a further interim reweighting of the Labour Force Survey (LFS), to be published in December 2024, which will be based on the interim national population projections (2021-based), published in January 2024.

Population growth has been particularly strong in recent years. The UK population is estimated to have increased by an average of 1% per year in 2022 and 2023 (see Figure 1). This is the fastest population growth rate in over 75 years. During the early 1960s, population growth was partly a result of the baby boom.

Read the full ONS report HERE