United Kingdom · data to Q2 2026
Is the economy growing?
OK.
Output per head grew 1.0% over the year. Growing, but only just once you count each person.
For context: 1.0% is lower than 70% of all 282 figures since 1956.
GDP per head, year on year
Real economic output divided by population
The strip under the chart shows the verdict each period would get by today's rules:Good OK Bad
See the latest numbers
| Period | Value | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 1.0% | OK |
| Q1 2026 | 0.7% | OK |
| Q4 2025 | 0.6% | OK |
| Q3 2025 | 0.9% | OK |
| Q2 2025 | 1.0% | OK |
| Q1 2025 | 1.3% | OK |
| Q4 2024 | 1.3% | OK |
| Q3 2024 | 0.4% | OK |
| Q2 2024 | -0.2% | Bad |
| Q1 2024 | -0.9% | Bad |
| Q4 2023 | -1.6% | Bad |
| Q3 2023 | -1.1% | Bad |
Source: ONS, Gross domestic product per head, chained volume measure, seasonally adjusted, annual % change · Series IHXW (PN2) · Latest Q2 2026
How we judged this
What we test: The latest figure (GDP per head, year on year). Right now that's 1.0%.
- Good if 1.5% or more
- OK if from 0.0% to under 1.5%applies now
- Bad if anything the rules above don’t cover
Rules are checked from the top. The first one that fits decides the verdict.
About this data
- Measure
- GDP per head, year on year
- Latest
- 1.0% (Q2 2026)
- Published
- Quarterly, by ONS
- Verdict counts for
- Equal weight with the others in the overall verdict
We use GDP per head because a growing population can make the economy bigger without anyone being better off.