UK economy grows by only 0.1% amid falling business investment

Rachel Reeves: ‘The government has the right economic plan to build a stronger and more secure economy.’ Photograph: Chris Furlong/PA

The UK economy expanded by only 0.1% in the final three months of last year, according to official data, as falling business investment and weak consumer spending led to little momentum going into 2026.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the economy grew at the same rate of 0.1% as the previous three months. This was less than a 0.2% rise that economists had been expecting.