FX.co ★ UK GDP Growth Quickens to 1.2% in Q2 2026, Topping Previous Quarter’s Pace

The United Kingdom’s economy expanded by 1.2% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2026, accelerating from a 0.9% annual growth rate recorded in the first quarter of 2026. The latest GDP reading, released on 13 August 2026, signals a modest improvement in the country’s growth momentum on an annual comparison basis.

According to the data, both the current and previous figures are measured year-over-year, comparing each quarter’s performance with the same quarter a year earlier. The first quarter’s 0.9% gain, also assessed on a year-over-year basis, has now been revised or confirmed as the benchmark against which the stronger second-quarter performance is measured.

The uptick from 0.9% to 1.2% suggests that economic activity in the UK strengthened as 2026 progressed, although the data released does not detail the sectoral drivers behind the improvement. Nonetheless, the year-over-year comparison framework indicates that the second quarter of 2026 outperformed the same period a year earlier by a wider margin than in the first quarter.