UK services output annual growth: excluding government
UK services output annual growth: excluding government stood at 2.4% in Jul 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Monthly GDP and output table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1998 to Jul 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Monthly GDP and output table
| Indicator | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Services output, growth on a year earlier | |||||||||||
| IoS-xOPQ — Services excluding government | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.1 | |
| Services | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1 | 0.9 | 1 | 1.1 |
Understanding UK services output annual growth: excluding government
Public administration, defence, education, and human health activities are removed from this aggregate growth measure across the United Kingdom, isolating commercially driven service sectors from state-funded provision. By stripping out government services, the series highlights cyclical movements originating purely from private enterprise within the wider tertiary economy. This contrasts with total services output measures that blend tax-financed public services with market-traded commercial transactions.
When analysing this growth rate, observers should account for different regulatory frameworks and demand drivers that separate private commerce from public sector delivery. Comparisons against overall GDP or total services require caution, as government output often follows smoother, budget-driven paths that can mask underlying volatility in commercial markets. Seasonal adjustment procedures are applied to remove calendar distortions, though revisions to early survey responses can still influence the precise growth rate reported for recent months.
Frequently asked questions
- Which activities are excluded from this services growth measure?
- Public administration, defence, compulsory education, and human health and social work activities are removed to isolate commercial services.
- How does this differ from the total services output growth series?
- It removes state-funded and government-administered sectors entirely, leaving only market-based and private service industries.
- Why is the exclusion of government services useful for analysts?
- It reveals cyclical trends driven purely by private demand, free from the smoother, budget-driven profiles of public sector output.