Italians as Well Off as Brits Expose UK’s Era of Stagnation

The UK economy has lost its edge over Italy and slipped further behind France over the past decade, according to per head gross domestic product figures that reveal a stark underperformance fueled by a population surge, high inflation and tepid growth.

The findings will ring alarm bells in Keir Starmer’s government, which is looking at how much the economy generates for each resident rather than aggregate output as a gauge of the living standards it has pledged to improve. GDP per capita was stagnant last year when Labour took office and fell in 2023.