GDP Quarterly National Accounts: 2023 Quarter 1 (January to March)

Second quarterly estimate of onshore GDP growth for 2023 Quarter 1

Scotland’s onshore GDP (i.e. excluding offshore oil and gas) is estimated to have grown by 0.2% during 2023 Quarter 1 (January to March), revised down from the first estimate for the quarter of 0.4% published on 31 May. The increase in the latest quarter follows unrevised growth of 0.2% during 2022 Quarter 4 (October to December) and a fall of 0.3% during Quarter 3 (July to September).

Compared to the same quarter last year, Scotland’s GDP has grown by 0.1%.

There have been no revisions to growth in 2022 or earlier years. Scotland’s onshore economy grew by 4.9% in 2022. This follows growth of 8.4% in 2021 and a fall of 12.2% in 2020.

In quarterly terms, the level of GDP is 0.2% below the level in 2019 Quarter 4, prior to the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, after an initial fall of 24.5% between 2019 Quarter 4 and 2020 Quarter 2.

In 2023 Quarter 1, output in the services sector increased by 0.3% overall compared to the previous quarter, with growth in eight of the fourteen subsectors. The largest positive contributions came from professional, scientific and technical activities (+2.4%) and administrative and support services (+2.4%), with the largest negative contribution from wholesale, retail and motor trades (-1.2%).  

Output in the production sector fell by 0.3% overall, with growth of 0.4% in manufacturing and 0.5% in electricity and gas supply offset by falls in mining and quarrying (-3.6%) and water supply and waste management (-3.2%).

Output in the construction sector grew by 0.4% during Quarter 1.

The Monthly GDP estimates (which are experimental statistics) give a more detailed indication of the trends for each industry sector, and include results up to May 2023 at the time of release.