Britain’s economy grew 0.7% in the three months to September, up from 0.5% in the previous quarter. The Office for National Statistics’ first estimate put output 1.9% above the same period a year earlier. The Guardian reported that it was the strongest quarterly growth since the first three months of 2024.

The ONS said the economy “grew robustly,” with business-facing services contributing to a 0.9% rise in services output. Production increased by just 0.1%, while construction contracted 0.7%. The sector split shows how much the headline growth rate depended on services.

The monthly figures were uneven. Output rose 0.4% in July, stalled in August and increased 0.2% in September. GDP per person rose 0.7% over the quarter and 1.7% from a year earlier. The ONS is scheduled to publish its next quarterly estimate on 22 December.