UK economic growth strengthens in Q1 as GDP rises by 0.7%

LONDON (ICIS)–Economic growth in the UK strengthened in the first quarter with GDP estimated to have grown by 0.7%, according to official data on Thursday.

The economy accelerated from the previous quarter when GDP grew by just 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in its first estimate, which is subject to revision.

The rate of growth in Q1 is the strongest in a year, since the first quarter of 2024 when GDP grew by 0.9%.

Q1 2024	Q2 2024	Q3 2024	Q4 2024	Q1 2025
0.9%	0.5%	0%	0.1%	0.7%

Growth in Q1 2025 was driven by an increase of 0.7% in the services sector. Production also grew, by 1.1%, while the construction sector remained flat, the ONS said.

The Q1 figures were recorded before “Liberation Day” US trade tariffs were announced at the start of April, with these likely to be reflected in future economic data.