Barclays says UK consumer, business resilience fails to translate into spending, investment growth
BCS•Barclays flags gap between resilience and growth
Barclays analysis flagged a gap between household and business resilience and UK growth, with uncertainty constraining spending and investment.
- Household savings ratio averaged 9.6% in 2025 versus 5.8% in 2019; non-essential spending growth slowed to 0.7% in H1 2026.
- Business survey showed 86% confidence in firms’ own prospects, yet fewer than 25% borrowed to invest in the past 12 months.
- The report argued growth policy should be more region-specific; 60% of businesses backed greater devolution to improve local opportunities.
