GDP components · United Kingdom
United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel
The United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel is one part of the national accounts of the United Kingdom: what households spend, what businesses invest, what they earn, or how productive workers are.
- Importance
- Medium
- Released
- Quarterly
- Next release
- Currency
- GBP · pound sterling
- Central bank
- The Bank of England
Latest figures
The latest release for Q2, published on 13 August 2026, came in at 1.7%, above the consensus of -0.5%, up from 0.9% the time before.
A stronger figure than expected points to a healthier economy: it usually supports the pound sterling and local stocks, and can push bond yields up.
Over the last 7 releases it ranged from -4.0% to 5.9%, averaging -0.3%; it has been rising for three releases in a row.
| Released | For | Actual | Consensus | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Aug 2026 | Q2 | 1.7% | -0.5% | 0.9% |
| 14 May 2026 | Q1 | 0.7% | 1.1% | -2.9% ® |
| 12 Feb 2026 | Q4 | -2.7% | 0.4% | 1.6% ® |
| 13 Nov 2025 | Q3 | -0.3% | -0.7% | -1.1% |
| 14 Aug 2025 | Q2 | -4% | 0.1% | 3.9% |
| 15 May 2025 | Q1 | 5.9% | 0.4% | -1.9% |
| 13 Feb 2025 | Q4 | -3.2% | 1.1% | 1.9% |
Why it matters
GDP's headline hides its drivers. Household spending is usually the largest part of demand; investment is the most cyclical and tells you about firms' confidence; productivity and labour costs decide whether growth can continue without inflation.
How it is calculated
the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates each component from surveys, tax and trade data, after inflation where noted ("real").
What changes mean
- Strong spending with weak income growth cannot last: watch the savings rate.
- Productivity growth lets wages rise without pushing up prices; unit labour costs show the opposite.
Higher than expected: A stronger figure than expected points to a healthier economy: it usually supports the pound sterling and local stocks, and can push bond yields up.
Lower than expected: A weaker figure than expected points to slowing activity: the pound sterling tends to soften and markets price in lower rates.
A short history
The components follow the expenditure approach to GDP set out by Keynesian economics in the 1930s and standardised in the System of National Accounts.
Questions
What is the United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel?
The United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel is one part of the national accounts of the United Kingdom: what households spend, what businesses invest, what they earn, or how productive workers are.
What was the latest United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel?
1.7% for Q2, published on 13 August 2026 (consensus -0.5%, previous 0.9%).
When is the next United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ Prel?
On Thursday 12 November 2026 at 07:00 UTC.
Educational content only, not investment advice. Figures are the published results as recorded by our calendar; market reactions described are typical, not guaranteed.