What has driven the recent weakness of business investment?

The purpose of Bank Overground is to share our internal analysis. Each bite-sized post summarises a piece of analysis that supported a policy or operational decision.
Recent weak business investment appears to reflect the impact of Brexit uncertainties. The recovery of investment from the 2008 recession was in line with previous episodes until the EU Referendum Act was passed in 2015.

Chart A

The recovery in business investment has stalled since the EU referendums(a)

Business investment after previous recessions

Footnotes

Sources: ONS and Bank calculations.

(a) Chained‑volume measure. Recessions are defined as at least two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. Previous recessions include those beginning in 1973, 1975, 1980 and 1990. A recovery ends if a second recession occurs in the period shown.

Chart B

UK business investment growth has dropped below other advanced economies(a)(b)

What impact has Brexit had on business investment

Footnotes

Sources: Eikon from Refinitiv, Japanese Cabinet Office, OECD, ONS, Oxford Economics, Statistics Canada, US Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bank calculations.

(a) Chained‑volume measure.
(b) Business investment is not an internationally recognised concept. This swathe includes similar series derived from other countries’ National Accounts. Private sector business investment for Italy. Business investment minus residential structures for Canada. Non‑residential private investment for Japan and the US. Non‑government investment minus dwellings investment for France and Germany.