Growth cools to 0.4% in the second quarter
The first estimate shows the economy slowing from Q1's 0.6%, though June alone managed 0.3%.
The UK economy grew 0.4% in the second quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics' first quarterly estimate, easing from 0.6% growth in the opening three months of the year.
The monthly path within the quarter ended on a firmer note: GDP rose 0.3% in June, which gives the third quarter a reasonable starting point.
A half-speed quarter is roughly what forecasters had sketched after the strong start to 2026, and it sits comfortably alongside the survey data that followed — the August composite PMI hit a four-month high, suggesting momentum carried into the summer.
First estimates are revised as more source data arrive, so treat the decimal with appropriate caution. The direction — slower but still growing — is the takeaway.