Productivity: Economic indicators

Economic indicators are quick-read summaries of the latest data focusing on different aspects of the UK economy. The full suite of indicators can be found on the main Economic Indicators page.

One of the most important factors in determining living standards is productivity – how much output is produced for a given input (such as an hour of work).

UK labour productivity

In Q1 2026, productivity was estimated to be 0.4% higher compared with a year before (Q1 2025), according to the latest ONS flash estimate. Productivity was up by 0.9% compared with the previous quarter (Q4 2025) and was 2.6% higher compared with before the pandemic in Q4 2019.

Source: ONS, series LZVD (rebased), and Library calculations based on ONS flash estimate for Q1 2026

Historically, UK labour productivity has grown by around 2% per year but since the 2008/2009 recession it has risen more slowly (see chart above). The effects of the pandemic presented significant challenges in the measurement of productivity, but it appears the pre-pandemic trend of sluggish productivity growth has continued, if not deteriorated.

International comparisons of productivity

In 2023, ranked on GDP per hour worked, the UK came fourth highest out of the G7 countries, with the US highest and Japan lowest. UK productivity was around 18% below the US.

Source: OECD, productivity levels, custom table of G7

Next updates

This page is updated when new data is published. The next source updates will be:

• ONS, Productivity flash estimate and overview, UK, 18 Aug 2026