The British economic recovery in 13 charts

So the UK economy grew 0.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2014, leaving output on this preliminary estimate at just about the previous peak set in Q1 2008, over six years ago. For an economy that produces almost £400bn a quarter in gross domestic product, exceeding the previous peak by £752m is really small beer, as our first chart below the break shows.

This has been the slowest recovery from recession since the 1920s, although be warned, the ONS has form on revising up its estimates. Joe Grice, its chief economist is already hinting at such a move, commenting today that the ONS “may yet modify our view of how slow the UK’s recovery has been”.

This post will examine how the economy has changed over the past six years in charts even though output is now again at the same level.