Ammon News - Britain's economy grew unexpectedly in March to cap another strong first quarter, suggesting it was in better ‌shape as the Iran war escalated than many feared, though economists said seasonal distortions were flattering the figures.

Gross domestic product increased by 0.3% month-on-month in March, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, against expectations in a Reuters poll of economists for a 0.2% contraction.

The services sector, construction output and ​manufacturing all grew strongly.

For the first quarter as a whole, the economy expanded by 0.6% - marking the third year ​running of conspicuously strong growth in the first quarter.

Economists said measurement issues related to shifts in ⁠spending after the pandemic may be contributing to that pattern.
Raj Badiani, economics director at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said the stockpiling ​of goods sparked by the Iran war may also have pulled forward demand in March.