The UK’s total order book balance crashed to -38 in April 2026 from -27 in March, missing expectations of -30 and hitting its lowest level since October 2025, according to the CBI. The reading now sits far below its long-term average of -14. Meanwhile, expected price pressures soared to +32 from +12 in March, marking the sharpest monthly jump since records began in 1975, driven by the Iran war’s economic ripple effects. Business optimism collapsed, with the quarterly outlook measure plunging to -65 (from -19 in January). Investment plans for buildings, machinery, and training also weakened to their lowest since April 2020. source: Confederation of British Industry

Factory Orders in the United Kingdom decreased to 38 Net Balance in April of 2026 over the previous month. Factory Orders in the United Kingdom averaged -18.16 Net Balance from 1977 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 26.00 Net Balance in November of 2021 and a record low of -79.00 Net Balance in October of 1980. This page provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom CBI Industrial Trends Orders - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United Kingdom CBI Industrial Trends Orders - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on April of 2026.

Factory Orders in the United Kingdom decreased to 38 Net Balance in April of 2026 over the previous month. Factory Orders in the United Kingdom is expected to be -26.00 Net Balance by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom CBI Industrial Trends Orders is projected to trend around -16.00 Net Balance in 2027 and -10.00 Net Balance in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-20 11:00 AM
CBI Industrial Trends Orders
Mar -27 -28 -29 -28
2026-04-23 10:00 AM
CBI Industrial Trends Orders
Apr -38 -27 -30 -29
2026-05-22 10:00 AM
CBI Industrial Trends Orders
May -38


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 2022.00 1895.00 Companies Mar 2026
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY 3.10 0.70 percent Mar 2026
CBI Business Optimism Index -65.00 -19.00 points Jun 2026
Car Production YoY 65885.00 65249.00 Units Feb 2026
Car Registrations 380627.00 90100.00 Units Mar 2026
Changes in Inventories -992.00 355.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Composite Leading Indicator 101.04 101.07 points Mar 2026
Corporate Profits 165030.00 160993.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Corruption Index 70.00 71.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 20.00 20.00 Dec 2025
Crude Oil Rigs 7.00 5.00 Mar 2026
Electricity Price 89.14 88.36 GBP/MWh Apr 2026
Electricity Production 65847.60 49685.20 Gigawatt-hour Dec 2025
CBI Industrial Trends Orders -38.00 -27.00 Net Balance Apr 2026
Industrial Production YoY -0.40 0.50 percent Feb 2026
Industrial Production MoM 0.50 -0.10 percent Feb 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.50 0.30 percent Feb 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY -0.50 1.30 percent Feb 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM -0.10 0.20 Percent Feb 2026
Mining Production -2.10 -9.10 percent Feb 2026
New Orders 11935.00 12404.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
New Car Sales YoY 6.60 7.20 percent Mar 2026
Business Investment QoQ -2.50 1.10 percent Dec 2025


United Kingdom CBI Industrial Trends Orders
In the United Kingdom, the Confederation of British Industry‘s Industrial Trends Survey of total order book balance tracks changes in the level of factory orders from around 500 companies across 38 sectors of manufacturing industry. The survey covers domestic and export orders, stocks, price, investment intentions and output expectations. For each variable, manufacturers are asked if present situation is above normal, normal or below normal. The results are presented as a weighted percentage balance, that is, the difference between the percentage of respondents replying more or up to each question minus the percentage replying less or down.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-38.00 -27.00 26.00 -79.00 1977 - 2026 Net Balance Monthly
NSA

News Stream
UK Order Books Plunge in April
The UK’s total order book balance crashed to -38 in April 2026 from -27 in March, missing expectations of -30 and hitting its lowest level since October 2025, according to the CBI. The reading now sits far below its long-term average of -14. Meanwhile, expected price pressures soared to +32 from +12 in March, marking the sharpest monthly jump since records began in 1975, driven by the Iran war’s economic ripple effects. Business optimism collapsed, with the quarterly outlook measure plunging to -65 (from -19 in January). Investment plans for buildings, machinery, and training also weakened to their lowest since April 2020.
2026-04-23
UK Industrial Orders Decline Slows in March
The UK’s total order book balance improved slightly to -27 in March 2026, up from -28 in February and exceeding market expectations of -29, according to the CBI. While the decline in industrial orders is the slowest since September, levels remain weak. The output expectations sub-index for the next three months rose to -3 from -12, while expected price growth eased to +12 from +26. Cameron Martin, CBI senior economist, warned that the Middle East conflict is driving up energy costs and threatening further supply chain disruptions, adding to existing cost pressures on manufacturers.
2026-03-20
UK Manufacturing Orders Remain Weak in February
The UK’s total order book balance rose to -28 in February 2026 from -30 in January, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Although the reading signals that industrial orders are declining at their slowest pace since September, levels remain historically subdued. Export order books were also reported as below “normal,” though slightly improved at -26 compared with -30 in January. In the three months to February, manufacturing output continued to fall but at a slower pace than in the three months to January (-14 vs -25). Expectations for average selling price inflation remained elevated at +26% in February, easing slightly from +29% in January but still well above the long-run average of +8%. CBI Senior Economist Cameron Martin said the downturn in manufacturing output had moderated in February following a difficult start to the year, though many firms continue to report customers holding back amid weak confidence and persistent cost pressures.
2026-02-19