FOI ref: FOI/2022/4198
You asked
Please provide a list of recessions in Britain from the 1700s to the current period in a time series?
We said
Thank you for your request.
Technical recessions are considered as being at least two consecutive calendar quarters of contracting GDP. Our official estimates of quarterly GDP are available from 1955 onwards. Attached are our quarterly growth rates from 1995 Q2 to 2022 Q1, consistent with the First Quarterly Estimate of GDP published on 12 May.
We have recently published analysis on this data and how events in history have impacted on GDP: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/gdpandeventsinhistoryhowthecovid19pandemicshockedtheukeconomy
Recent research produced by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research provides a history of business cycles in the UK back to 1857. These reflect a broader concept of recessions in the UK economy.
There is a forthcoming paper (to be published) on ‘Dating Business Cycles in the United Kingdom, 1700–2010', which may be of interest.
If you have any queries about their data, please contact them via the following link: https://www.niesr.ac.uk/contact