UK Industrial Output Unexpectedly Falls

Industrial production in the UK unexpectedly fell by 0.9% month-on-month in December 2025, defying market expectations of a flat reading and reversing an upwardly revised 1.3% gain in the previous month. This marked the first decline since September, as manufacturing output slipped (-0.5% vs 1.9% in November), weighed down by lower production in basic pharmaceutical products and preparations (-2.6%), food products (-1.4%), and chemical products (-5%). The overall drop was also driven by electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply (-1.7% vs 1%) and water supply, sewerage, and waste management (-2.4% vs -0.8%). Meanwhile, output decreased at a softer pace for mining and quarrying (-0.7% vs -0.9%). On a yearly basis, industrial output eased to 0.5% from 2.3% in the previous month, well below market expectations of 1.5% increase. For 2025, total annual production rose 0.2%, marking its first yearly growth since 2021.

Industrial production in the UK rose by 1.1% month-on-month in November 2025, easily beating market expectations of a 0.1% increase, though easing slightly from an upwardly revised eight-month high of 1.3% in the prior month. Output declined in mining and quarrying (-2.5% vs 4.4% in October), electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (-0.5% vs 4.1%), and water supply, sewerage and waste management (-0.6% vs 1.4%). In contrast, manufacturing output climbed to 2.1% from 0.4% in October, driven in part by a recovery in output at Jaguar Land Rover after a cyberattack weighed on production earlier in the autumn. Notably, output accelerated in the manufacture of transport equipment (10.7% vs 3.9%) and basic metals and metal products (2.5% vs 0.3%). On a yearly basis, industrial production jumped to 2.3% in November from an upwardly revised 0.4% gain in the previous month, defying market expectations of a 0.4% decline. This marked the strongest annual reading since June 2021.

Industrial production in the UK rose by 1.1% month-over-month in October 2025, rebounding from a 2% decline in September and above market forecasts of a 0.7% gain. It marked the strongest monthly growth since February, as output recovered in the manufacturing subsector (0.5% vs -1.7% in September), particularly in the manufacture of transport equipment (3.6% vs -13.8%), machinery (4.4% vs -1.6%), and other manufacturing repair (2.8% vs 1.1%). Despite a rebound in motor vehicle, output remains almost 22% below August levels, as the fallout from Jaguar Land Rover’s earlier cyber-attack continues to weigh on production. Overall output was also supported by rebounds in mining and quarrying (4.3% vs -3.4%), electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply (2.1% vs -3.4%), and water supply, sewerage, and waste management (1.5% vs -0.7%). On a yearly basis, industrial production fell 0.8%, easing from a 2.5% decline in the previous month and better than market expectations of a 1.2% drop.