UK industrial production fell 0.04% year on year in August 2026, unchanged from the previous month and holding at that level for a second straight reading. Over the past six months the index eased from -0.01% in March to -0.05% in May and June, before edging back to -0.04% in July and August, pointing to persistently weak momentum.
Manufacturing output, by contrast, rose 0.03% year on year, also flat versus the prior month and at the top of its recent six-month range, highlighting a divergence from the headline index. Manufacturing had climbed gradually from 0.01% in March, dipped to 0.00% in June, and returned to 0.03% from July onward.
The phosphorite ore output change flagged in the attention points belongs to a separate statistical scope and has no direct bearing on the UK figures. Based solely on the current data, the reason for the gap between the headline index and manufacturing cannot be confirmed.