The UK has seen seven consecutive quarters of no growth.
This isn’t true of GDP overall, which has fallen over the past two consecutive quarters, but has seen some periods of limited growth within the past seven quarters. However GDP per capita has either decreased or seen zero growth over the last seven consecutive quarters.
“The Prime Minister talks about things going backwards. The UK is the only Western G7 power in recession, with seven consecutive quarters of no growth. That is the worst since records began in 1955.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Labour MP Sarah Owen claimed that the UK has seen “seven consecutive quarters of no growth”.
This was challenged by the Prime Minister, who in his response said: “I would say to the honourable lady, she might want to check some of the facts that she just outlined to the House that aren’t quite right.”
It isn’t true that GDP overall has seen seven consecutive quarters of no growth. Ms Owen has since clarified on social media that she was referring instead to GDP per capita growth, though she did not specify this in her question. We’ve contacted her office for comment and will update this article if we receive a response.
How has GDP changed in recent months?
Overall GDP growth has fallen over the past two consecutive quarters, which means the UK entered into recession according to the most common definition. But it has seen some periods of limited growth over the past seven quarters, for example growing by 0.2% in Q1 last year.
However GDP per capita (the total value of all the goods and services produced by a country, divided by the number of people living there) has either decreased or seen zero quarter-on-quarter growth in every quarter since Q2 2022—seven consecutive quarters as of Q4 2023.
As the Resolution Foundation economics think tank notes, this represents “the longest runs of falls or stagnation since 1955 [sic]”.
MPs should correct potentially misleading claims as soon as possible. Currently MPs who aren’t ministers cannot correct the official record in the House of Commons but this will soon change. Following a successful Full Fact campaign, in October 2023 MPs voted to change the corrections system in Parliament to allow all MPs to correct the official record. Full Fact is urging that the new way for MPs to correct the official record be implemented expeditiously and effectively.
Image courtesy of UK Parliament
Full Fact fights for good, reliable information in the media, online, and in politics.
Bad information ruins lives. It promotes hate, damages people’s health, and hurts democracy. You deserve better.