UK manufacturing output rose by 0.9% month-on-month in July 2026, beating market expectations of a 0.2% increase and recovering from a 0.5% decline in June. Production expanded in eight of the thirteen manufacturing subsectors. The strongest positive contribution came from the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products, which grew 5.2% after a 0.9% drop in June. This was followed by basic metals (up 2.8% vs a 2.8% decline previously), coke and refined petroleum products (up 1.2% vs 0.4%), and food products, beverages and tobacco (up 0.9% vs 1.0%).
By contrast, output fell most notably in rubber and plastic products and non‑metallic mineral products (down 3.0% vs a 0.4% rise in June), machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified (down 1.5% vs 0.1% lower previously), and wood and paper products and printing (down 1.2% vs a 1.3% decline). On an annual basis, manufacturing activity grew 2.6% in July, the strongest increase since March 2024, exceeding forecasts of 2% and accelerating from a 0.5% gain in the prior period.
