Key Indicators
Latest availableCharts
Nine indicators that together tell the story of the UK economy: whether it's growing, what's happening to prices, jobs and pay, what borrowing costs, and where house prices and the public finances stand. Party bands show who was in government - context for the trends, though the global economy rarely respects election dates.
GDP Growth Rate
Fetching ONS data…
The UK economy grew by 0.4% in the three months to June 2026, the latest full quarter, and by 0.4% in July on its own. Growth over the three months to July was the eighth three-month rise in a row. The ONS revises past quarters on 30 September.
CPI Inflation
Fetching ONS data…
UK CPI inflation was 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.6% in June and down from a peak of 11.1% in October 2022. The Bank of England's target is 2%.
Gross Domestic Product
Fetching ONS data…
The UK economy produces around £3 trillion of output a year in cash terms. These figures are not adjusted for inflation.
Unemployment Rate
Fetching ONS data…
The UK unemployment rate was 4.9% in April to June 2026, 0.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier. The ONS says recent estimates are less reliable than usual because of problems collecting Labour Force Survey data.
Labour Productivity
Fetching ONS data…
Output per hour worked, the main driver of long-term pay growth. UK productivity has barely grown since the 2008 financial crisis and lags France, Germany and the US.
Bank of England Base Rate
Fetching ONS data…
The Bank of England base rate is 3.75%. It was held on 30 July 2026, with three of the nine committee members voting for a rise, and was last changed with a cut in December 2025. It peaked at 5.25% in 2023.
Real Wage Growth
Fetching ONS data…
Pay is still rising faster than prices: total pay including bonuses grew 4.1% in the year to April to June 2026, or 1.1% to 1.3% after inflation depending on the measure used. Real pay fell sharply in 2022.
Government Borrowing
Fetching ONS data…
The government borrowed £56.7 billion in the four months to July 2026, £6.0 billion less than a year earlier but more than the official forecast. Net debt was just under £3 trillion, close to the size of the whole economy.
Average UK House Price
Fetching ONS data…
The average UK house price was £272,000 in June 2026, up 2.0% on a year earlier. Prices in London fell 2.5% over the year while the North West rose 4.7%.
About this data
Every series on this page is pulled directly from official sources - the Office for National Statistics for GDP, inflation, unemployment, productivity, wages and borrowing, the Bank of England for the base rate, and HM Land Registry for house prices - and refreshes automatically as new figures are published. Most series update monthly or quarterly on fixed release dates.
Two habits make official economic data easier to read. First, recent figures are provisional: early GDP and migration-sensitive labour market estimates are routinely revised, so the newest points on any chart are the least certain. Second, where charts carry party bands, they show who was in office - but economic outcomes reflect global conditions and long lags as well as government policy, so bands are context, not attribution.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UK inflation rate?
UK CPI inflation was 2.9% in July 2026, up from 2.6% in June and down from a peak of 11.1% in October 2022. The Bank of England's target is 2%. The next figures are due on 16 September 2026.
What is the current Bank of England base rate?
The Bank of England base rate is 3.75%. The Monetary Policy Committee held it on 30 July 2026, and it has not changed since it was cut in December 2025. It peaked at 5.25% in 2023.
What is the average house price in the UK?
The average UK house price was £272,000 in June 2026, up 2.0% on a year earlier, according to the UK House Price Index. July figures are due on 16 September 2026.
How often is UK GDP data updated?
The Office for National Statistics publishes a monthly GDP estimate and a more detailed quarterly release. The charts on this page use the official quarterly series and refresh automatically whenever the ONS publishes new or revised figures.
What is the difference between GDP growth and the GDP level?
The growth chart shows the quarterly percentage change in real GDP, which tells you whether the economy is expanding or contracting. The GDP level chart shows total nominal output in pounds, which illustrates the overall size of the economy over time.
What is the Bank of England's inflation target?
The Bank of England has a government-set target of 2% CPI inflation. If inflation moves more than one percentage point above or below the target, the Bank's Governor must write an open letter to the Chancellor explaining why and what the Bank intends to do about it.
How is UK unemployment measured?
Unemployment is estimated from the ONS Labour Force Survey using the international ILO definition: people out of work who have looked for a job in the past four weeks and can start within two weeks. It is not the same as the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits.
Where does the economic data on this page come from?
Every series is pulled directly from official sources: the Office for National Statistics for GDP, inflation, unemployment, productivity, wages and borrowing; the Bank of England for the base rate; and HM Land Registry's UK House Price Index for house prices. Each chart links to its source series.