Consumer spending buoys UK economy

4765The UK’s economic growth is being fuelled by consumers, giving rise to concerns about sustainability.

Government spending is also playing a part, but business investment and exports are in sharp slowdown.

Household spending accounts for nearly 66% of UK output, helped by lower inflation and the supermarket price war giving people a bit more money to spend. Spending grew by 0.8% in the last quarter, following growth of 0.6% in the previous three months, according to the ONS.

Government spending was up by 1.1% in the period, after a spurt of 1% in the second quarter.

Business investment, on the other hand, fell by 0.7%. Exports dropped by 0.4% at the same time as imports grew by 1.4%.

Economists believe weak growth in the eurozone means that exports could remain weak for a protracted period because the eurozone accounts for nearly 50% of British exports.

"Companies have grown increasingly worried about deteriorating economic conditions in the eurozone as well as geopolitical uncertainties linked to the crises in the Ukraine and Middle East, while closer to home the main concern is uncertainty arising from the General Election next year and how government policy may consequently change," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.