Business investment in the United Kingdom rose by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to March 2026, rebounding from an upwardly revised 2.9% drop in the previous period, preliminary estimates showed. Still, the latest reading came in well below market expectations of a 1.1% increase and marked the weakest growth since the second quarter of 2023, highlighting a still-fragile recovery in corporate spending. The increase was largely driven by a significant rise in spending on transport equipment, while investment declined mainly in intellectual property products. On an annual basis, business investment fell by 1.8% in the first quarter, marking the first annual contraction in two years and reversing from a downwardly revised 1.8% gain in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation increased by 4.3% quarter-on-quarter and 0.5% annually. source: Office for National Statistics

Private Investment in the United Kingdom increased to 0.70 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from -2.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Private Investment in the United Kingdom averaged 1.03 percent from 1967 until 2026, 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 May of 2026.

Private Investment in the United Kingdom increased to 0.70 percent in the first quarter of 2026 from -2.90 percent in the fourth 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
2026-03-31 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 0.7% -2.9% 1.1% 0.9%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Changes in Inventories 4565.00 -8.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Consumer Spending 419202.00 416740.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Corporate Profits 165030.00 160993.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
GDP Constant Prices 710896.00 706453.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
GDP Growth Rate 0.60 0.20 percent Mar 2026
Gross Fixed Capital Formation 137657.00 138525.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Industrial Production YoY 0.00 -0.50 percent Mar 2026
Industrial Production MoM -0.20 0.30 percent Mar 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.60 0.50 percent Mar 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 1.20 -0.80 percent Mar 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM 1.20 -0.20 Percent Mar 2026
Mining Production -3.90 -2.00 percent Mar 2026
New Orders 10553.00 11791.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Business Investment QoQ 0.70 -2.90 percent Mar 2026
Business Investment YoY -1.80 1.80 percent Mar 2026


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
0.70 -2.90 51.50 -27.00 1967 - 2026 percent Quarterly
SA

News Stream
UK Business Investment Recovers in Q1
Business investment in the United Kingdom rose by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to March 2026, rebounding from an upwardly revised 2.9% drop in the previous period, preliminary estimates showed. Still, the latest reading came in well below market expectations of a 1.1% increase and marked the weakest growth since the second quarter of 2023, highlighting a still-fragile recovery in corporate spending. The increase was largely driven by a significant rise in spending on transport equipment, while investment declined mainly in intellectual property products. On an annual basis, business investment fell by 1.8% in the first quarter, marking the first annual contraction in two years and reversing from a downwardly revised 1.8% gain in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation increased by 4.3% quarter-on-quarter and 0.5% annually.
2026-05-14
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