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. source: Office for National Statistics

Private Investment in the United Kingdom decreased to -2.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 1.60 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 - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.

Private Investment in the United Kingdom decreased to -2.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 1.60 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 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 YoY Prel
Q4 2% 2.5% 3.1%
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 YoY Final
Q4 2.5% 2% 2.0%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Changes in Inventories 1402.00 1860.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Corporate Profits 160993.00 160867.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Industrial Production YoY 0.50 2.30 percent Dec 2025
Industrial Production MoM -0.90 1.30 percent Dec 2025
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.10 -0.10 percent Dec 2025
Manufacturing Production YoY 0.50 1.30 percent Dec 2025
Manufacturing Production MoM -0.50 1.90 Percent Dec 2025
Mining Production -0.60 2.10 percent Dec 2025
New Orders 12049.00 10971.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Business Investment -2.70 1.60 percent Dec 2025


United Kingdom Business Investment
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
-2.70 1.60 51.50 -27.00 1967 - 2025 percent Quarterly
SA

News Stream
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
UK Business Investment Falls Less Than Expected
Business investment in the United Kingdom fell by 0.3% quarter-on-quarter in the three months to September 2025, less than the expected 0.7% drop, following a sharper 1.1% decline in the previous quarter, according to preliminary estimates. This marks the second consecutive quarterly decrease, highlighting continued weakness in corporate spending. On an annual basis, business investment increased by 0.7%, easing from a 3% gain in the prior quarter. Meanwhile, overall gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) grew by 1.8%, supported by stronger investment in ICT equipment, other machinery and equipment, dwellings, and intellectual property products. Year-on-year, total fixed investment was 3.8% higher than in the same period last year.
2025-11-13