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Commons Briefing paper by Saywah Mahmood. It was first published on Friday, 27 March 2015. It was last updated on Friday, 4 September 2026.


Manufacturing industries: Economic indicators

Economic indicators are quick-read summaries of the latest data focusing on different aspects of the UK economy. The full suite of indicators can be found on the main Economic Indicators page.

Manufacturing is one of the production industries, which also include mining, electricity, water & waste management and oil & gas extraction.

From April to June 2026, the latest quarterly data available, the manufacturing sector accounted for 8.5% of total UK economic output (GVA).

Manufacturing Output

Monthly manufacturing output decreased by 0.5% in June 2026. Output decreased in seven of the 13 subsectors.

Manufacturing output increased by 1% in the three months to June 2026 compared with the previous three months.

Output in the three months to May 2026 increased by 1.5% compared with output in the same period the previous year.

Line chart showing the three-month percentage change in UK manufacturing output compared with a year earlier from 2017 to June 2026. Output fell sharply in 2020 and rose strongly in 2021, before returning to smaller annual changes. In June 2026, the output index was 100.6 and output was 1.2% higher than a year earlier.

Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

In the S&P Global PMI, a value of 50 means that there is no change compared to the previous month. Values above 50 indicate an expansion, and values below 50 a contraction.

In the S&P Global PMI, a value of 50 means that there is no change compared to the previous month. Values above 50 indicate an expansion, and values below 50 a contraction.

The UK manufacturing PMI flash estimate for August 2026 [PDF] was 51.5, down from 51.9 in July, with the rate of expansion at a five-month low. Geopolitical uncertainty and elevated cost pressures were reported as constraints on growth.

UK manufacturing PMI, 2019 to August 2026. An index above 50 indicates expansion and below 50 indicates contraction. The PMI fell sharply to around 32 in 2020, then rose to a peak of about 65 in 2021. It generally weakened through 2022 and 2023 before recovering. In 2026, the index remained above 50 but eased from 52.5 in June to 51.9 in July and 51.5 in August. August 2026 was higher than August 2025, when the index was 47.0, and slightly lower than August 2024, when it was 52.5.

Next updates

This page is updated when new data is published. The next source updates will be:


Secondary information

Type
Research briefing
Reference
SN05206 
Category
Economic indicators
Subjects
Economic situation Manufacturing industries
Contains statistics
Yes
Published by
Economic Policy and Statistics Section
House of Commons Library
Link
View this Research briefing on researchbriefings.parliament.uk