UK February GDP +0.5%

Britain’s economy grew 0.5% in February, its strongest monthly gain since January 2024, according to the Office for National Statistics. (ons.gov.uk) The Office for National Statistics said monthly gross domestic product rose after a revised 0.1% increase in January and another 0.1% rise in December 2025. Over the three months to February, output also grew 0.5%. (ons.gov.uk) Services output rose 0.3% in February, production rose 1.5%, and construction rose 0.4%, with 10 of 14 production subsectors expanding. Economists polled by Reuters had expected only a 0.1% monthly increase in gross domestic product. (ons.gov.uk) (cnbc.com) Gross domestic product is the broadest measure of what the country produces, adding up output across services, factories and building sites. February’s figure gives Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government a stronger starting point after the economy grew just 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025. (gov.uk) (commonslibrary.parliament.uk) The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% on 5 February 2026, with four of nine rate-setters voting for a cut, and said further reductions were likely if inflation continued to ease. Stronger output can complicate that path if it feeds wage and price pressure. (bankofengland.co.uk) Critics on social media argued the gain reflected higher regulated charges, inflation or compliance activity rather than stronger living standards. The Office for National Statistics measures gross domestic product in inflation-adjusted terms, so the monthly estimate is designed to track real output rather than price rises alone. (x.com) (gov.uk) Some economists also cautioned that the February data predate later shocks. Reuters reported that analysts described the release as backward-looking because the military conflict involving Iran escalated after February 28, raising new risks around energy prices and inflation. (money.usnews.com) (news.sky.com) The next monthly gross domestic product release is scheduled for 14 May 2026, when Britain will get the first official read on whether February’s burst carried into March. (ons.gov.uk)