UK GDP: April 2026 Three‑month growth +0.7% but monthly GDP fell 0.1%

12th June 2026

The Office for National Statistics reports that real GDP grew by 0.7% in the three months to April 2026 compared with the three months to January 2026, marking the fifth consecutive quarter‑on‑quarter rise and continuing a modest recovery trend.

Despite that three‑month gain, the ONS records a monthly contraction of 0.1% in April 2026, the first monthly fall since August 2025. That April dip was driven by a 0.2% fall in services, while production showed no growth and construction made a small positive contribution.

Sector detail shows the services sector as the main engine of three‑month growth, expanding by 0.8% with particularly strong performance in information and communication and professional, scientific and technical activities; by contrast, sports, amusement and recreation recorded a sharp monthly fall that weighed on April’s figures. Manufacturing contributed positively over the quarter, led by pharmaceuticals and electronics, while production overall slipped slightly.

On a year‑on‑year basis, GDP was 1.1% higher in the three months to April 2026 than a year earlier, and the level of GDP in April 2026 was about 1.2% above April 2025. The ONS notes that some April weakness was linked to the wider economic effects of the conflict in the Middle East, which affected travel, events and some supply chains.

The bulletin was published on 12 June 2026 and the ONS flags that revisions will be incorporated in the next quarterly national accounts publication; readers should treat early monthly estimates as provisional and check the ONS release for full tables and methodology.

Read the full ONS report HERE