Monthly GDP Estimates for May

29 Jul 2026 10:53 AM

Scotland’s onshore GDP grew by 0.6% in the three months to May 2026, compared to the three months to February 2026, according to statistics announced by the Chief Statistician.

In the three months to May, the largest positive contribution to headline GDP growth was in the Retail, Wholesale & Motor Trades sector, which contributed around 0.2 percentage points towards headline growth. The Professional, Scientific and Technical Services sector made the largest negative contribution, contributing around 0.1 percentage points.

Monthly GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.1% in May 2026. This follows growth of 0.8% in April 2026 and growth of 0.3% in March 2026.

Growth in April was revised up from 0.4%, with smaller revisions for earlier months.

Background

The monthly statistical publication and data are available at:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/monthly-gdp-may-2026

The quarterly statistical publication and data are available at:

GDP Quarterly National Accounts: 2026 Quarter 1 (January to March) - gov.scot

All results are seasonally adjusted and presented in real terms (adjusted to remove inflation). GDP growth relates to Scotland’s onshore economy, which means it does not include the output of offshore oil and gas extraction.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the output of the economy in Scotland and are designated as official statistics in development. This means that they are still in development but have been released to enable their use at an early stage. All results are provisional and subject to relatively high levels of uncertainty.

Further information on GDP statistics is available at http://www.gov.scot/gdp

These estimates are compiled in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics – more information on the standards of official statistics can be accessed at: https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/code-of-practice/