UK services output annual growth: excluding retail/food
UK services output annual growth: excluding retail/food stood at 2.2% 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 | |||||||||||
| J-T — Services excluding distribution, transport, accommodation and food | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1 | 1.1 | |
| JA — Publishing, audiovisual & broadcasting activities | 6.2 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.7 | -0.3 | -1.3 | -2.4 | -4.7 | -7 | -6.7 |
Understanding UK services output annual growth: excluding retail/food
Retail trade, wholesale distribution, transport, warehousing, hotels, and restaurants are removed from this specific annual growth metric across the United Kingdom. By stripping out physical goods distribution and hospitality, the series highlights service sectors driven by professional expertise, information technology, finance, real estate, public administration, and social activities. This contrasts with broader tertiary measures that include the entire retail and logistics supply chain.
Observers use this measure to analyse service sector momentum independent of high-street consumer spending patterns and physical freight logistics. Public services included in this aggregate can introduce smoother, non-market output trends that differ markedly from volatile private commercial markets. Year-on-year comparisons remain the standard approach for evaluating this series, eliminating seasonal anomalies tied to holiday shopping and tourism.
Frequently asked questions
- Which industries are excluded from this specific services aggregate?
- Retail, wholesale trade, transport, storage, accommodation, and food services are entirely removed.
- What remains within this coverage?
- Professional services, finance, real estate, IT, public administration, education, health, and personal services.
- Why remove distribution and hospitality from a services measure?
- It allows analysts to study high-value professional and public sectors without the noise of physical goods retail and tourism cycles.