Manufacturing output continued to grow in the three months to July 2026, increasing by +0.5% compared with the previous three-month period, with 7 of the 13 manufacturing subsectors recording growth.
The strongest growth came from computer, electronic and optical products (+3.9%), machinery and equipment (+3.0%) and food, beverages and tobacco (+1.1%). This was partly offset by falls in electrical equipment (-3.0%), wood, paper products and printing (-2.0%), and basic metals and metal products (-1.2%).
Output across the capital goods industries, which includes many of the main users of manufacturing technology, was +1.7% higher than in the previous three-month period and +3.4% higher than a year earlier.
Looking at key customer industries for the manufacturing technology sector, machinery recorded the strongest growth, up +3.1% on the previous three-month period and +0.4% year-on-year. Aerospace output increased by +1.3% and was +1.1% higher than a year earlier. Automotive was broadly flat, increasing by +0.1%, but remained -4.1% below its level a year earlier. Metal products fell by -1.1% over the previous three months, although output remained +7.3% higher than a year earlier.
Overall, the latest figures point to a mixed but improving picture for manufacturing, with particularly strong momentum in machinery and aerospace-related activity, while automotive and metal products remain more challenging. There are more details in the range of ONS Statistical Bulletins which can be downloaded from their website at https://www.ons.gov.uk/releasecalendar (11 September) or on request from MTA