The September 2025 GDP figures suggest that the UK economy remains fragile, with monthly GDP slipping by 0.1 percent while annual GDP slightly grew by 0.1 percent, continuing a pattern of weak performance seen in July and August. Although the service and construction sectors managed modest growth of 0.2 percent each, this resilience was not enough to offset a sharp decline in production output. The production sector contracted by 2.0 percent, driven mainly by a striking 28.6 percent fall in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers.

This dramatic contraction in automotive manufacturing alone removed 0.17 percentage points from overall GDP, showing how heavily the national economy still depends on a few key industrial activities. The contrast between expanding service-based activities and declining manufacturing implies an economy pulled in different directions, with structural vulnerabilities emerging more clearly.

Taken together, the latest updates indicate that short-term momentum remains weak. The continued fall in production, particularly in the automotive industry, suggests supply chain challenges, while modest service-sector growth offers only limited cushioning. The economy, therefore, enters the final quarter of 2025 with subdued confidence and ongoing pressure on industrial output. This latest update takes the RPI and RPI-P to minus 8, meaning that economic activities are within expectations of the UK economy.

Growth seen at 0.1 percent on the month in September after the same marginal 0.1 percent in August.

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the broadest measure of aggregate economic activity and encompasses every sector of the economy. The monthly report is based on output data only as the income and expenditure series are not available.

GDP covers all aspects of economic activity. Investors need to closely track the economy because it usually dictates how investments will perform. Stock market investors like to see healthy economic growth because robust business activity translates to higher corporate profits. GDP contains a treasure-trove of information which not only paints an image of the overall economy, but tells investors about important trends within the big picture. However, the monthly report is quite limited and only provides data on the main output sectors. More detailed information is available in the quarterly reports.