FILE PHOTO: Pedestrians walk along the Southbank in view of skyscrapers in the financial district in London, Britain February 17, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo
April 9, 2020
LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s economy was almost stagnant in the three months to February, before the coronavirus crisis escalated and pushed the country into what is likely to be a severe recession, official data showed on Thursday.
Gross domestic product rose by 0.1% in the December-February period, the Office for National Statistics said, weaker than a median forecast for growth of 0.2% in a Reuters poll of economists.
In February alone, GDP fell by 0.1% compared with a forecast for growth of 0.1% in the Reuters poll.
(Reporting by David Milliken; Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Catherine Evans)
