25 September 2025
We have discovered an error in the regional gross value added (GVA) deflation and chain-linking process used to compile ‘real’ volume estimates at the International Territorial Level (ITL) 3 and local authority (LA) levels of geography. The error mainly affects the mining and quarrying industry, though there are also smaller errors in the real estate and public administration industries. Any higher-level industry aggregates that include these components will also be affected to some degree, including the total economy measure.
Because the error affects the chained volume measures (CVM), it will also affect the implied deflators derived from the CVM and current price data, and will therefore also feed through to the deflators used in our regional gross domestic product (GDP) volume estimates at the ITL3 and LA levels. The estimates we publish for city and enterprise regions are built from LA level components, so volume estimates for these areas will also be affected. The error does not impact any GVA or GDP estimates published for the UK as a whole or for ITL1 countries and regions, nor any current price data at lower levels.
Although the error affects all areas at the ITL3 and LA levels, in most places the impact will be relatively small. However, in a few specific places the impact on the mining and quarrying industry is much larger, to the extent that it distorts the total economy aggregate and gives a misleading picture of economic growth in the region.
We are working on correcting the process error and will publish replacement data tables as soon as possible, within the next few weeks. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
