The fall in GDP of 0.3 per cent in 2012 Q1, coupled with the negative growth in the fourth quarter of 2011, means that total output has declined by 0.6 per cent over the last two quarters. The economy has been broadly flat over the past year. Since 2010 Q3, when the economy had grown for five consecutive quarters following the 2008-09 recession, real GDP has contracted by a total of 0.4 per cent. The fall in GDP in the latest quarter is mainly due to weakness in construction output. Overall services grew by 0.1 per cent while production fell by 0.4 per cent.24 May 2012 Office for National Statistics | 2 Reflecting ... (full story)