UK Tech Sector Monthly Monitor – July 2026 update

In this Growth Commission paper in May 2026, Growth Commissioner Douglas McWilliams set out the critical contribution to the economy of the UK’s tech sector. Following the publication today of the UK GDP figures for the three months to May 2026, he observes:

“Today’s new data shows the continuing importance of the tech sector to UK growth. The disaggregated GDP data shows that output of Section J (information and communications) rose by 4.5% in volume terms between the three months to May in 2025 and the same months in 2026. This compares with a 1.1% rise in total GVA over the period. In other words 6.5% of the economy contributed directly 26.0% of the total GVA growth.

“On a wider measure of the tech sector, the new data on the turnover of the service sector shows that tech related sectors, which account for 24% of the service sector by turnover, grew in cash terms by 6.8% over the same period.

“It should be noted that independent analysis quoted by Robert Colvile in The Sunday Times on 12th July pointed out that there was likely to be substantial under-measurement of the scale of tech-related start-up businesses in the UK.

“These figures are a reminder of how much UK growth currently depends on the tech sector and that regulatory reforms that put this growth at risk will have serious negative knock-on effects for the whole economy.”