UK GDP grows 2.3% as lockdown eases

The UK GDP is estimated to have grown by 2.3 per cent in April, the fastest monthly growth since July 2020 as the Covid-19 lockdown eased, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

In April, the service sector grew by 3.4 per cent month-on-month, whereas output in the production and construction sector fell by 1.3 per cent and 2.0 per cent respectively, the ONS said on Friday.

Meanwhile, April's GDP remained 3.7 per cent below the pre-pandemic level seen in February 2020, Xinhua news agency reported citing the ONS as saying.

"Services have been the main contributor to GDP's recovery in recent months, following large falls in January because of coronavirus restrictions," said the ONS.

Meanwhile, analysts have voiced their optimism for the British economy in the coming months due to further easing of restrictions and vaccine roll-outs.-IANS