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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.

The service industries include the retail sector, the financial sector, the public sector, business administration, leisure and cultural activities.

The service industries accounted for 82% of total UK economic output (gross value added) and 83% of employment in April to June 2026.

Services output

The Index of Services was flat (growth of 0.0%) between July and August 2026.

Services output increased by 0.9% in June–August 2026 compared with March–May 2026.

In June–August 2026, compared with June–August 2025, services output increased by 2.2%.

Chart and table showing changes in the Index of Services. Services output shrank briefly in late 2024 but has generally been increasing by 1% to 2% per year.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

In the S&P Global PMI, a value of 50 means that there is no change in activity compared with the previous month. Values above 50 indicate an expansion, and values below 50 a contraction.

The UK services PMI (PDF) was 52.1 in September 2026, down from 52.5 in August. Business activity continued to grow, and new work was up slightly. However, employment continued to decrease (this has now been the case every month for two years) and inflation was up, largely driven by fuel prices. Business optimism was below average, although most respondents predicted growth in activity over the year ahead.

Chart and table showing the UK services PMI. The index has dipped below the neutral 50 mark a few times, but in recent months it has usually been slightly above 50.

Next updates

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

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