UK economy makes stronger recovery during Covid

The UK economy made a stronger recovery during Covid at the end of 2021 than previously estimated, according to sharply revised official figures.

Data now shows that the economy grew by 0.6% in the final three months of 2021, rather than shrinking by 1.2%.

The Office for National Statistics said revisions were mainly because it had "richer data" from its annual survey.

The government said it showed "those determined to talk down the British economy have been proved wrong".

Recently, the ONS estimated that between April and June this year, the UK economy was still 0.2% smaller than the final three months of 2019 - the last full quarter before Covid struck the following March.

This meant the UK was at the bottom of the biggest G7 economies in terms of its recovery from the pandemic.

The upward revision could mean that the UK economy is performing much better than Germany and only just behind France and Italy when new figures are released.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: "The fact that the UK recovered from the pandemic much faster than thought shows that once again those determined to talk down the British economy have been proved wrong. "There are many battles still to win, most of all against inflation so we can ease cost of living pressures of families."