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.

Manufacturing is one of the production industries, which also include mining, electricity, water & waste management and oil & gas extraction.

From April to June 2026, the latest quarterly data available, the manufacturing sector accounted for 8.3% of total UK economic output (GVA).

Manufacturing Output

Monthly manufacturing output increased by 0.9% in July 2026. Output increased in eight of the 13 subsectors.

Manufacturing output increased by 0.5% in the three months to July 2026 compared with the previous three months.

Output in the three months to July 2026 increased by 1.7% compared with output in the same period the previous year.

Line chart showing UK manufacturing output, measured as the three-month percentage change compared with a year earlier, from 2017 to 2026. Growth was volatile around the pandemic, falling to about -15% in 2020 before rising to around 25% in 2021. Since 2022, growth has remained close to zero. A table shows the manufacturing output index was 101.5 in July 2026, up 1.7% on a year earlier.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

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

The UK manufacturing PMI flash estimate for September 2026 [PDF] was 52.0, up slightly from 51.7 in August. Investment in AI and higher defence spending helped increase manufacturing output, but weak consumer demand held back growth.

UK manufacturing PMI line chart and table. The PMI fluctuates around the 50 no-change mark between 2019 and 2026, with a sharp fall to around 32 in 2020, a peak of around 65 in 2021 and a recovery above 50 during 2026. The index was 51.9 in July 2026, 51.7 in August and 52.0 in September, up 0.3 points on the month. September values were 51.5 in 2024 and 46.2 in 2025.

Next updates

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

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