# UK flash PMI rises to 53.1 in October as services hit an eight-month high

> S&P Global's flash survey puts the UK composite output index at 53.1 for October, up from 52.0 in September. Services business activity reached 53.1, and manufacturing PMI was 52.8.

- Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/uk-flash-pmi-october-2026-composite-53-1/
- Type: Data
- Published: 2026-10-23
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team
- Currencies: GBP

S&P Global's flash survey of UK businesses, published on 23 October 2026, puts the composite PMI at 53.1 for October, up from 52.0 in September. A reading above 50 signals growth, so the survey points to expansion in both services and manufacturing this month.

## Services and manufacturing

- **Services business activity**: 53.1, against 52.1 in September, an eight-month high
- **Manufacturing PMI**: 52.8
- **Manufacturing output**: 53.1

Services are the larger part of the UK economy, so the services reading carries most of the weight in the composite. The manufacturing figures are smaller but show how factories are faring with orders and output.

## Reading it

Flash estimates are revised in the final release, so the October figures can still change. The composite is the number most traders watch, because it combines the two sectors into one measure of business activity. The Bank of England held Bank Rate at 3.75% in September ([report](/news/bank-of-england-holds-3-75-percent-september-2026/)), and UK inflation rose to 3.5% the same month ([CPI report](/news/uk-inflation-september-2026-3-5-percent/)), so the policy outlook depends on both activity and prices.

For the euro area on the same morning, see [the euro area flash PMI](/news/euro-area-flash-pmi-october-2026-composite-51-9/), which fell. For how survey data are built, see [PMIs explained](/news/pmi-explained/). Live prices: [GBP/USD](/markets/gbp-usd/).

## Sources

- [S&P Global: Flash UK PMI, October 2026, 23 October 2026](https://www.pmi.spglobal.com/Public/Home/PressRelease/eb1c5eed6ac8438a806b4d00ada164aa)

## Common questions

### What was the UK flash composite PMI in October 2026?

S&P Global's flash estimate put the composite output index at 53.1, up from 52.0 in September.

### What did the UK services PMI show in October 2026?

The services business activity index rose to 53.1 from 52.1 in September, which S&P Global described as an eight-month high.

### Is the flash PMI the final figure?

No. The flash estimate is an early reading, and the final PMI for the month is published later and can differ.

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