Economy

The UK construction sector remained in contraction during March 2026, with the latest S&P Global UK Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rising marginally to 45.6 from 44.5 in February, though still below the neutral 50.0 threshold for the fifteenth consecutive month.

Global markets staged a sharp recovery on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, stepping back from what had been an extraordinarily dramatic ultimatum. Just hours earlier, the US President had warned that "a whole civilisation will die tonight" unless Tehran reached

Scotland's onshore GDP showed no growth in the three months to January 2026, according to statistics released by the Chief Statistician. This marks a decline from the 0.1% growth recorded in the three months to December 2025, and 0.4% in the three months to November 2025.

UK inflation held steady at 3% in February, but economists are warning that the relative calm is unlikely to last, as the ripple effects of the Middle East conflict begin to reshape the economic outlook.

The United Kingdom's economy recorded zero growth in January, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), as weakness across key sectors of the economy compounded an already fragile outlook. The services sector, which accounts for the largest share of economic output, showed no growth dur

Paul Diggle sets out the scenarios from Aberdeen’s global economic outlook for Q2 2026 covering the Iran conflict and global economy more broadly. This is a very challenging environment to make predictions in, and we are conscious many of our scenarios may be seen as negative. Our role as econ

Oil prices have surged past $105 (c. £78.5) a barrel, touching a high of $119 (c. £89), as global markets face the mounting economic consequences of an escalating geopolitical conflict.

Scotland’s onshore GDP grew by 0.1% in the final quarter of 2025 (the three months to December), according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician. This steady performance followed a 0.3% expansion in the previous quarter, culminating in an annual growth rate of 1.4% for 2025.

UK inflation has eased to 3% in January, reaching its lowest level since March 2025 and sparking renewed debate over the timing of a Bank of England interest rate cut. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the slowdown from December's 3.4% was primarily driven by falling petrol pric

The UK economy experienced a period of stagnation in the final quarter of 2025, with official figures revealing a modest expansion to GDP of just 0.1%. This sluggish performance, confirmed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), fell short of the 0.2% growth anticipated by City economists.

Nearly 80% of Chartered Accountants do not have confidence in the health of the Scottish economy and are calling for government action to make Scotland a more attractive place to do business, a new survey from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has revealed. In the first poll

The outlook for both the Scottish and UK economies has improved and looks to remain positive through 2027, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. In its latest quarterly Economic Commentary, the Institute forecasts that the Scottish economy will have ended 20

Business confidence in Scotland remains weak, according to the latest Fraser of Allander Institute Scottish Business Monitor, with firms pointing to cost pressures, subdued investment and little expectation of short-term relief.

A new report highlights the success of Scottish companies which attended the world expo in Japan, generating orders for sectors including offshore wind, gaming, health technology and consumer products. Business delegations to Scotland Day showcase events at Expo 2025 Osaka have reported £23 mi

The global economy is expected to grow at a reasonable but not particularly exciting pace again this year, supported by easier monetary policy, fiscal stimulus in key economies and the continued artificial intelligence (AI) boom, but important downside risks remain in a volatile and unpredictable gl