Economy better than expected

Actual UK gross domestic product (GDP) in volume terms fell by 0.7% compared with the previous quarter, revised from a fall of 0.8% published in the preliminary estimate. The level of GDP is 5.5% lower than the same quarter of 2008, revised down from the 5.6% predicted.

Between quarter one and quarter two of 2009 the volume of output in the production industries fell by 0.6%, within which manufacturing fell by 0.2%. Output of the service industries decreased by 0.6% and construction output is estimated to have fallen by 2.2%. In real terms, household expenditure fell by 0.7% and gross fixed capital formation fell by 4.5%. GDP at current market prices showed zero growth.