United Kingdom Factory Orders

Last Release

Dec 31, 2025

Actual

-32

Units In

Net Balance

-37

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Jan 20, 2026

Time to Release

1 Months 1 Days 13 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
26 Nov 2021	-79 Oct 1980	-18.07 Net Balance	1977-2025	The Confederation of British Industry

In the United Kingdom, the Confederation of British Industry‘s Industrial Trends Survey of total order book balance tracks changes in the level of factory orders from around 500 companies across 38 sectors of manufacturing industry. The survey covers domestic and export orders, stocks, price, investment intentions and output expectations. For each variable, manufacturers are asked if present situation is above normal, normal or below normal. The results are presented as a weighted percentage balance, that is, the difference between the percentage of respondents replying more or up to each question minus the percentage replying less or down.

Latest Updates

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey showed the UK’s total order book balance improved to a three-month high of -32 in December 2025 from -37 in November and better than analysts' estimates of -35. Still, the index remained well below the long-run average of -14. The survey revealed that export orders fell the least since July and output expectations for the next three months rose to their highest since September. "Activity was clearly held back by uncertainty ahead of the Budget, and with that now out of the way, firms can look to 2026 with a little more certainty," CBI economist Ben Jones said. "Significant headwinds remain nonetheless, with demand still soft, high energy, labour and regulatory costs squeezing margins, and uncertainty around key policies and global conditions continuing to weigh on confidence," he added.