UK economy edges up by 0.3 pct between May, August

LONDON, Oct 16 (KUNA) -- Official data released Thursday showed that United Kingdom's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 0.3 percent between May and August 2025.
According to a report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the improvement was mainly driven by the services sector which represents 79 percent of the country's total economic activity and recorded a 0.4 percent growth during the period.
The report added that the construction sector also expanded by 0.3 percent, while industrial output fell by 0.3 percent.
In a separate statement, the ONS said the UK's trade deficit in goods and services reached GBP 5.2 billion (USD 7 billion) between May and August, compared to GBP 1.7 billion (USD 2.3 billion) between March and May.
It noted that total imports during the period amounted to GBP 236.7 billion (USD 317.8 billion), while total exports reached GBP 231.5 billion (USD 310.8 billion).
The goods trade deficit alone stood at GBP 58.4 billion (USD 78.4 billion), resulting from imports worth GBP 151.6 billion (USD 203.5 billion) and exports totaling GBP 93.2 billion (USD 125.1 billion).
By contrast, the report highlighted a GBP 53.2 billion (USD 71.4 billion) surplus in services trade, as exports reached GBP 138.3 billion (USD 185.6 billion) and imports GBP 85.1 billion (USD 114.2 billion) over the same period. (end) mrn.sar