Welcome to the September 2026 edition of The Money Statistics, The Money Charity’s comprehensive monthly round-up of statistics showing how we use money in the UK, kindly funded by Vanquis.
Striking Numbers from the September Money Statistics:
- UK GDP grew 0.4% in July 2026, following a growth of 0.3% in June 2026. Compared to the same month last year, GDP was 1.6% higher in July 2026, the fastest annual growth since February 2025. Services output was the main driver, with the ONS highlighting strong activity among AI and cloud computing businesses.
- In August 2026, retail sales volumes rebounded from July and were 2.4% higher than in August 2025. They also increased by 0.9% in the three months to August.
- Food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 1.3% annually in August 2026, unchanged from July. The rate was last lower in September 2021, when it was 0.8%.
- Annual growth in employees’ average regular earnings (excluding bonuses) was 3.5% in May to July 2026. It has been relatively stable over the past five consecutive three-month periods, after a year of slowing growth.
- Average UK private rent reached £1,400 per month in the 12 months to August 2026, £52 (3.8%) more than a year earlier. The annual growth rate was up from 3.7% in the 12 months to July, and the highest since last December.
- England and Wales individual insolvencies were 3% higher than a year earlier in August 2026.
- Overall, motor fuel prices rose by 23.0% in the 12 months to August 2026, compared with a rise of 15.5% in the previous month.
Get the full picture and many more fascinating facts about money in the UK in our monthly Money Statistics. Previous editions can be found in the archive.
If you’d like The Money Statistics emailed to you every month as soon as they’re published, please sign up at: https://themoneycharity.org.uk/money-statistics/
