Index of Services, UK: July 2021

• Monthly services output remained flat at 0.0% between June 2021 and July 2021 and was still 2.1% below its February 2020 level, the last month of "normal" trading conditions prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

• There were rises in 6 out of the 14 sectors in the Index of Services. Growth of 2.0% in information and communication was offset by a drop of 2.3% in professional, scientific and technical services.

• There was notably strong growth, of 118.4% in air transport in July but this was from a low base and output in that industry remains 77.2% below its February 2020 level.

• Services output for the three months to July 2021 rose by 4.5% compared with the three months to April 2021; this was led by accommodation and food service activities which rose by 86.4%. 

• The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant negative impact on output of the services industries, although each sector has been affected differently; for further and detailed analysis of the effect on our monthly Index of Services estimate, please see our article Coronavirus and the impact on output in the UK economy, UK: July 2021, published today (10 September 2021).

Data sources and collection

The Index of Services (IoS) is compiled using data from several different sources:

• ONS: Monthly Business Survey (44.4%)

• ONS: Retail Sales Inquiry (6.4%)

• ONS: Government Expenditure (20.1%)

• ONS: Households' Expenditure (15.3%)

• ONS: Finance Expenditure (7.8%)

• Other (5.9%)

The Monthly Business Survey (MBS) data are published alongside this release in MBS turnover in services industries.

Data relating to the retail industry are broadly comparable with Retail sales, Great Britain: July 2021, published on 20 August 2021.

For further information on what is included within "Other" data sources, please see the GDP(o) data sources catalogue.

Percentage of each data source is based on their gross value added weight. The GDP(o) methods and sources pages provide more information on the data that underpin these statistics; of particular note is the GDP(o) data sources catalogue.

From February 2018, Value Added Tax (VAT) data have also been included across 64 production industries for small and medium-sized businesses. For more information, see VAT turnover data in national accounts: background and methodology.

Quality and methodology

More quality and methodology information on strengths, limitations, appropriate uses, and how the data were created is available in the Index of Services QMI.

Blue Book 2021

In Blue Book 2021 a new framework will be introduced to improve how we produce volume estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for balanced years as part of the supply use process. This framework includes the implementation of double-deflated industry-level gross value added for the first time. This improvement will be reflected in the September quarterly national accounts and October monthly GDP estimates. On 8 September 2021, we published Impact of Blue Book 2021 changes on quarterly and monthly volume estimates of gross domestic product by industry, and these changes will be taken on in the next GDP monthly release, on 13 October 2021.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The Office for National Statistics' (ONS') Monthly Business Survey (MBS) is fully online, meaning that business owners can log on from any location and submit their data at an appropriate time. Most other data in the IoS come from within the ONS and therefore will be less impacted than survey data.

Our latest data and analysis on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the UK economy and population is now available on a new coronavirus web page. This will be the hub for all special coronavirus-related publications, including the fortnightly Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS).

The ONS has released a public statement on COVID-19 and the production of statistics. If you have any specific queries please email the Media Relations Office at: media.relations@ons.gov.uk.