UK business investment
Business investment in the United Kingdom quarterly since 1997, and gross fixed capital formation split by asset: plant and machinery, other buildings and structures, dwellings and intangible assets.
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | Q3-2023 | Q2-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business investment2 | ||||||||||||||
| Business investment, constant prices | 78,413 | 77,134 | 76,412 | 78,767 | 77,770 | 78,155 | 75,028 | 75,589 | 74,776 | 72,788 | 72,935 | 71,430 | 73,232 | |
| Business investment, current prices | 84,056 | 82,094 | 79,674 | 81,096 | 80,158 | 79,921 | 76,886 | 77,783 | 75,765 | 72,597 | 72,019 | 71,427 | 73,914 | |
| Gross fixed capital formation by asset4 | ||||||||||||||
| GFCF: plant and machinery | 22,051 | 20,534 | 20,377 | 21,044 | 19,443 | 20,133 | 18,906 | 19,243 | 18,742 | 18,824 | 19,460 | 18,605 | 18,953 | |
| GFCF: other buildings and structures | 48,418 | 48,390 | 46,815 | 46,735 | 46,431 | 45,696 | 43,865 | 43,365 | 41,141 | 43,040 | 39,993 | 39,510 | 39,490 | |
| GFCF: dwellings | 27,430 | 27,250 | 27,327 | 28,059 | 27,747 | 27,201 | 27,126 | 26,813 | 27,211 | 27,588 | 26,673 | 26,877 | 27,645 | |
| GFCF: intangible fixed assets | 36,357 | 36,610 | 38,968 | 36,711 | 36,756 | 36,494 | 35,984 | 36,034 | 35,716 | 34,567 | 35,556 | 35,544 | 36,093 | |
| Mergers and acquisitions6 | ||||||||||||||
| Inward acquisitions, value | 25,395 | 15,749 | 32,910 | 6,892 | 9,725 | 20,275 | 3,952 | 11,457 | 4,577 | 6,363 | 10,129 | 4,775 | 5,977 | |
| Outward acquisitions, value | 2,657 | 4,141 | 2,934 | 3,513 | 3,555 | 7,973 | 1,832 | 3,802 | 4,543 | 4,711 | 3,466 | 2,139 | 2,161 | |
| Inward acquisitions, number | 162 | 183 | 244 | 170 | 203 | 190 | 189 | 213 | 176 | 179 | 171 | 149 | 178 | |
| Outward acquisitions, number | 61 | 82 | 84 | 86 | 84 | 71 | 77 | 66 | 82 | 78 | 66 | 85 | 75 | |
| Inward disposals, value | 6,122 | 2,418 | 4,766 | 3,851 | 9,002 | 2,258 | 1,521 | 2,873 | 1,990 | 1,324 | 1,284 | 1,545 | 2,108 | |
| Outward disposals, value | 188 | 2,686 | 2,876 | 886 | 695 | 2,290 | 7,400 | 443 | 1,447 | 11,796 | 936 |
Latest reading
Business investment, constant prices stood at £78,413m in Q2 2026. That is +1.7% from Q1 2026 and +0.8% from a year earlier. The series on this page is quarterly and runs from Q1 1997 to Q2 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS).
- Latest
- £78,413m
- Q2 2026
- vs previous period
- +1.7%
- Q1 2026
- vs a year earlier
- +0.8%
About this data
Business investment in the United Kingdom quarterly since 1997, and gross fixed capital formation split by asset: plant and machinery, other buildings and structures, dwellings and intangible assets. Weak business investment is the standard explanation offered for flat UK productivity.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between UK business investment and gross fixed capital formation?
- Business investment measures net capital spending by private and public corporations, whereas total gross fixed capital formation also includes capital expenditure on dwellings and general government assets.
- Which asset categories are tracked in this dataset?
- The data detail capital formation in plant and machinery, other buildings and structures, dwellings, and intangible fixed assets across the UK economy.
- Are the UK business investment figures adjusted for inflation?
- Yes, UK business investment is provided in both current prices and inflation-adjusted constant prices in £m, allowing analysts to assess real volume growth over time.
- How far back do these UK business investment series go?
- Quarterly statistics for UK business investment, capital formation and corporate mergers and acquisitions extend back to 1986 and update with every release.
