Britain’s economy grew by 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025, according to figures released Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics, matching both the initial estimate and forecasts from a Reuters poll of economists.
This growth positioned the UK as the fastest-expanding economy among the Group of Seven (G7) advanced nations in the first half of the year. However, a portion of this pace was attributed to temporary factors, such as a surge in exports ahead of U.S. import tariffs. The Bank of England expects the overall expansion for 2025 to remain relatively modest at 1.25%.
Tuesday’s data from the ONS revealed that Britain’s GDP in Q2 was 1.4% higher than a year earlier—a slight upward revision from the initial 1.2% estimate. On a per capita basis, output for the second quarter increased by 0.9% compared to the previous year. Growth for the whole of 2024 remained steady at 1.1%.
Meanwhile, Britain’s current account deficit widened sharply between April and June, reaching GBP 28.9 billion ($38.8 billion), well above the consensus forecast of GBP 24.9 billion. This shortfall equated to 3.8% of GDP, a notable increase from the 2.8% recorded in the first quarter.
