英国经济二季度增速放缓至0.3% 财政大臣里夫斯面临严峻预算抉择

Economic Performance - The UK economy showed strong performance at the beginning of 2025, but growth slowed in the second quarter, with GDP growth at 0.3% year-on-year compared to 0.7% in the first quarter [1] - The overall economic growth for 2024 remains unchanged at 1.1%, while the GDP growth for the year ending June 2025 was revised up from 1.2% to 1.4% [1] G7 Economic Ranking - In the first half of 2025, the UK had the fastest economic growth among G7 countries, driven partly by one-off factors such as a surge in exports before US tariffs took effect [2] - The Bank of England forecasts a moderate economic growth of 1.25% for the entire year of 2025 [2] Consumer and Business Sentiment - The economic outlook for the second half of the year is expected to be more challenging, with predicted growth of only 0.2% due to slowing wage growth and rising inflation [2] - Household savings rate increased slightly from 10.5% in Q1 to 10.7% in Q2, indicating consumer concerns about the future [2] Taxation Expectations - Economists anticipate that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will need to raise hundreds of billions of pounds in taxes in the upcoming budget to meet deficit reduction goals [3] - The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) may adopt a more pessimistic view on future productivity and economic growth [3] Current Account Deficit - The UK's current account deficit reached £28.939 billion (approximately $38.9 billion) in Q2 2025, the highest level in two years, with the deficit as a percentage of GDP rising from 2.8% in Q1 to 3.8% [5] - The increase in the deficit is primarily attributed to higher dividend payments to foreign investors [6]