{
  "id": 6723072,
  "title": "UK economy grew faster than expected in July",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/uk-economy-grew-faster-than-expected-in-july-6723072",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-11T07:22:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Business",
    "slug": "bbc-business",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5xjlvn71lo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The UK's economy expanded by 0.4% in July, surpassing expectations and outpacing other major economies in the G7. This growth was driven by a strong performance in the services sector, particularly in computer programming and artificial intelligence (AI) related businesses. Economists had previously predicted no growth for the month. July's growth figure follows 0.3% expansion in June and zero growth in May. Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics, noted evidence that AI businesses contributed to the sector's growth in both July and the previous two months. However, the expansion is seen as temporary, as high energy prices and borrowing costs are expected to dampen growth in the coming months, especially if energy costs remain elevated. Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, mentioned that while the economy showed resilience, rising energy prices and borrowing costs would soon impact growth. Yael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG, pointed out that while the headline growth figure was strong, it masked weaker household conditions, with consumer-facing services contracting due to the effects of warm weather and the football World Cup. The UK economy's growth was the fastest among the G7 countries in the first half of the year, but Chancellor John Healey acknowledged that the economy was still fragile. The ongoing Middle East conflict continues to impact the UK economy, with higher energy prices and borrowing costs likely to weigh on household budgets and housing activity.",
  "summary": "The economy expanded by 0.4%, official figures show, whereas economists had predicted no growth.",
  "key_points": [
    "UK economy grew 0.4% in July, beating expectations",
    "Services sector, especially AI, drove the growth",
    "High energy prices and borrowing costs to dampen growth"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The UK economy's faster-than-expected growth in July highlights its near-term resilience, but also masks underlying fragilities and vulnerabilities to high energy prices and borrowing costs that may soon dampen expansion.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "UK economy grew faster than expected in July",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/uk-economy-grew-faster-than-expected-in-july",
        "published": "2026-09-11T06:26:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}