Business investment in the United Kingdom fell by 2.5% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December 2025, a smaller decline than the preliminary estimate of 2.7%, but reversing from a downwardly revised 1.1% increase in the previous period. The latest figure also marked the sharpest contraction since the third quarter of 2023, pointing to a clear slowdown in corporate spending. On an annual basis, business investment rose by 2%, in line with initial estimates, though this was the weakest growth since the second quarter of 2024 and a notable slowdown from the upwardly revised 3.5% expansion in the prior period. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation edged up by just 0.2%, easing from 1.2% growth previously, largely weighed down by a steep 18.2% drop in transport equipment. source: Office for National Statistics

Private Investment in the United Kingdom decreased to -2.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 1.10 percent in the third quarter of 2025. Private Investment in the United Kingdom averaged 1.03 percent from 1967 until 2025, reaching an all time high of 51.50 percent in the first quarter of 1997 and a record low of -27.00 percent in the third quarter of 2005. This page provides - United Kingdom Business Investment- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on April of 2026.

Private Investment in the United Kingdom decreased to -2.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 1.10 percent in the third quarter of 2025. Private Investment in the United Kingdom is expected to be 0.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ is projected to trend around 0.40 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-02-12 07:00 AM
Business Investment QoQ Prel
Q4 -2.7% 1.6% 0.4% 0.5%
2026-03-31 06:00 AM
Business Investment QoQ Final
Q4 -2.5% 1.1% -2.7% -2.7%
2026-05-14 06:00 AM
Business Investment QoQ Prel
Q1 -2.5% 0.5%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Changes in Inventories -992.00 355.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Consumer Spending 416308.00 416050.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Corporate Profits 165030.00 160993.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
GDP Constant Prices 706067.00 705681.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
GDP Growth Rate 0.10 0.10 percent Dec 2025
Gross Fixed Capital Formation 138849.00 138632.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Industrial Production YoY 0.40 0.50 percent Jan 2026
Industrial Production MoM -0.10 -0.90 percent Jan 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.20 0.10 percent Jan 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 1.30 0.50 percent Jan 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM 0.10 -0.50 Percent Jan 2026
Mining Production -5.20 -0.60 percent Jan 2026
New Orders 11935.00 12404.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Business Investment QoQ -2.50 1.10 percent Dec 2025
Business Investment YoY 2.00 3.50 percent Dec 2025


United Kingdom Business Investment QoQ
In the UK, business investment is net investment by private and public corporations. These include investments in transport, information and communication technology (ICT) equipment, other machinery and equipment, cultivated assets, intellectual property products (IPP, which includes investment in software, research and development, artistic originals and mineral exploration), and buildings and other structures. It does not include investment by central or local government, investment in dwellings, or the costs associated with the transfer of non-produced assets (such as land).
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-2.50 1.10 51.50 -27.00 1967 - 2025 percent Quarterly
SA

News Stream
UK Business Investment Falls Less Than Expected
Business investment in the United Kingdom fell by 2.5% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December 2025, a smaller decline than the preliminary estimate of 2.7%, but reversing from a downwardly revised 1.1% increase in the previous period. The latest figure also marked the sharpest contraction since the third quarter of 2023, pointing to a clear slowdown in corporate spending. On an annual basis, business investment rose by 2%, in line with initial estimates, though this was the weakest growth since the second quarter of 2024 and a notable slowdown from the upwardly revised 3.5% expansion in the prior period. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation edged up by just 0.2%, easing from 1.2% growth previously, largely weighed down by a steep 18.2% drop in transport equipment.
2026-03-31
UK Business Investment Drops Most Since Early 2021
Business investment in the United Kingdom declined by 2.7% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to December 2025, compared to market expectations of a 0.4% rise and an upwardly revised 1.6% growth in the previous period, preliminary estimates showed. This was the sharpest fall since the first quarter of 2021, led by a significant drop in spending on transport equipment. On an annual basis, business investment grew by 2% in the fourth quarter, the smallest increase in a year, following a downwardly revised 2.5% rise in the third quarter. For 2025 as a whole, business investment was 3.5% higher than in 2024. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation edged down by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter but increased by 3.6% year-on-year.
2026-02-12
UK Business Investment Defies Initial Estimates
Business investment in the United Kingdom rose by 1.5% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to September 2025, defying preliminary estimates of a 0.3% decline and rebounding from an upwardly revised 1.7% fall in the previous period. The increase reflected a notable improvement in corporate spending, suggesting that businesses are becoming more confident in the economic outlook and are willing to invest in new equipment, technology, and other productive assets. On an annual basis, business investment grew by 2.7%, well above initial estimates of a 0.7% rise, though slightly slowing from an upwardly revised 3.2% gain recorded in the previous period. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation expanded by 1.3%, primarily driven by growth in other machinery and equipment, dwellings, and intellectual property products.
2025-12-22