ONS Production Output Report: November 2025
This summary is based on information from the Office for National Statistics’ Index of Production, UK: September 2025, highlighting recent trends in the UK’s production industries, including manufacturing, mining and quarrying, energy supply, and water and waste management.
Monthly Performance Analysis
In September 2025, the UK’s monthly production output was estimated to have decreased by 2%, following a rise in August 2025 (0.3%) and a fall in July 2025 (0.1%).
The fall in monthly output resulted from widespread weakness across the four main sectors, with falls in “manufacturing” (1.7%), ‘electricity and gas’ (3.4%), “mining and quarrying” (3.4%), and “water supply and sewerage” (0.7%).
7 of the 13 manufacturing subsectors saw a monthly decrease in September 2025. The largest contributor came from “manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers” (28.6%).
Three-monthly Trends
During Quarter 3 (July to September) 2025, production output was estimated to have fallen by 0.5%, compared to Quarter 2 (April to June) 2025.
The largest negative contribution to the quarterly decrease came from ‘manufacturing’ (0.8%), supported by “mining and quarrying” (1.5%). This was partially offset by increases in ‘electricity and gas’, and ‘water supply and sewerage’, which were 0.7% and 0.6% respectively.
In Quarter 3 2025, 6 of the 13 subsectors in manufacturing fell. The largest negative contributors came from “transport equipment” (4.5%), “basic pharmaceutical products” (4.3%) and “chemical products” (5.6%).
UK production weakened sharply in September 2025, with output down 2% as all major sectors recorded declines – most notably a steep drop in motor vehicle manufacturing. This reversed August’s modest growth and highlights ongoing fragility across the sector.
Over Quarter 3, production fell 0.5%, driven by declines in manufacturing and mining, partly offset by small gains in energy and water. Notable falls in transport equipment, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals further underline the limited and uneven recovery in UK production heading into late 2025.
Source: Index of Production, UK – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
