UK economy beats expectations to grow 0.6% in February quarter

The British economy unexpectedly beat expectations to grow 0.6 per cent in the February quarter, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

At a time when US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have brought fears of economic downturn, the better-than-expected economic performance has come as a boost to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

In February, the British economy grew 0.6 per cent compared to 0 per cent growth the previous month.

The February quarter growth came on the back of growth in manufacturing and construction sectors.

In February, manufacturing grew by 1.5 per cent in, following a contraction of 0.5 per cent the previous month. The February quarter registered 0.7 per cent growth that was driven by manufacturing and construction — construction grew 0.4 per cent in February but no growth in the quarter.

GDP grew 0.5% in February 2025 and 0.6% in the 3-months to February 2025.

The economy grew strongly in February with widespread growth across both services and manufacturing industries.

Read the latest release ➡️ https://t.co/Fkb80osGgm pic.twitter.com/zBYUPEFHWl

— Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) April 11, 2025

In February, the services sector grew 0.3 per cent compared to 0.1 per cent the previous month. Overall, nine of 14 sub-sectors registered growth.

In the February quarter, the services sector grew 0.6 per cent.

However, the economic growth may not last as the British economy is set to be hit with inflation-busting utility bill, council tax increases, and £25 billion tax rise on businesses, according to Guardian.

Simon Pittaway, an economist at the Resolution Foundation think tank, said that quarterly increase may not continue into spring and summer.

“It is questionable whether this momentum will last, however, as Britain moves into an era of higher tariffs, and higher economic uncertainty,” Pittaway told Guardian.