UK economy contracts 0.1% as Iran war weighs on activity (opens in new tab)

Official data showed the UK economy contracted 0.1% in April, its first monthly decline since August 2025, after growth of 0.3% in March, as the Iran war weighed on activity. The Office for National Statistics data matched economists’ expectations in a Reuters poll cited by Firstpost, which forecast a 0.1% month-on-month decline. Services, the largest part of the British economy, fell 0.2% in April, while production was flat and construction rose 0.1%. Energy costs rose after Iran closed the ...