Business investment in the United Kingdom fell sharply in the fourth quarter, dropping 2.5% quarter‑on‑quarter and reversing the modest growth seen previously. The latest figures, updated on 31 March 2026, show a marked deterioration from the prior quarter’s 1.1% increase.
Both the current and previous readings relate to the fourth quarter of 2025, but measure different comparative periods. The “previous” figure of 1.1% reflects the change from the third to the fourth quarter on the earlier data release, while the newly reported “actual” figure of -2.5% represents a revised assessment of the change for the same quarter relative to the one before it. This shift from positive to negative quarter‑on‑quarter growth highlights a weaker investment climate at the end of 2025, suggesting businesses pulled back on capital spending after an initially reported uptick.
