People shop at a supermarket in Basingstoke, Britain, March 23, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)
For the first time since January 2021, the output of all the main sectors (services, production and construction) fell in April.
LONDON, June 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Kingdom's (UK) gross domestic product (GDP) declined by 0.3 percent in April after a 0.1 percent drop in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Monday.
For the first time since January 2021, the output of all the main sectors (services, production and construction) fell in April.
Photo taken on Sept. 12, 2020 shows a general view of the Bank of England in London, Britain. (Xinhua/Han Yan)
Services, the main contributors to April's fall, declined by 0.3 percent.
Production dropped by 0.6 percent, driven by a 1 percent fall in manufacturing on the month, as businesses struggled with price rises and supply chain shortages, the ONS said.
Construction also shrank 0.4 percent in April after strong growth in March, when significant repair and maintenance activities were needed following the storms in February.
Photo taken on March 23, 2022 shows British coins in Basingstoke, Britain. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)
"A big drop in the health sector due to the winding down of the test and trace scheme pushed the UK economy into negative territory in April," Darren Morgan, director of economic statistics at the ONS, explained on Twitter.
"Manufacturing also suffered with some companies telling us they were being affected by rising fuel and energy prices
The ONS noted that the UK's monthly GDP in April was 0.9 percent higher than its pre-COVID-19 pandemic level in February 2020. ■