Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleCopy linkGDP also rose by 0.3% in March (Getty)The UK economy recorded its strongest quarterly growth in a year during the first three months of 2026. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 0.6% between January and March, surpassing economists' expectations of 0.5%. This growth marks the highest since the first quarter of 2025. GDP also rose by 0.3% in March, surprising experts who had anticipated a slowdown following the onset of the Iran war. Growth was primarily driven by broad increases across the services sector, including wholesale, computer programming, and advertising, alongside slight growth in production and a return to growth in construction. In fullBoost for Reeves as GDP shows 0.6% growth despite Iran war crisisThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in