Early official figures are doing nothing to dispel concerns the economy remains stuck in the doldrums. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has reported growth of 0.1% for the final quarter of 2025 – mirroring the 0.1% figure covering July to September – worse than the 0.2% expected by many economists. Growth of 0.1% was measured for December, with activity easing following the pre-November slowdown partly blamed on nerves among consumers and the private sector ahead of the budget. Money latest: Chain crowned nation’s favourite supermarket for fifth time The data was worse when growth was measured by head of population – a more accurate measure of the country’s living standards – with output down across the second half of 2025. ONS director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said of its findings: “The economy continued to grow slowly in the last three months of the year, with the growth rate unchanged from the previous quarter. “The often-dominant services sector showed no growth, with the main driver instead coming from manufacturing. “Construction, meanwhile, registered its worst …