Manufacturing production in the UK edged down 0.1% month-on-month in February 2026, against market forecasts of a 0.3% rise and reversing an upwardly revised 0.2% gain in January. Output dropped in six of the thirteen subsectors, with the largest negative contributions coming from transport equipment (-2.1% vs 3.6% in January), basic metals and metal products (-2.1% vs 0.7%), and food, beverages, and tobacco (-1.2% vs 2.0%). Decreases were also recorded in textiles, wearing apparel, and leather products (-4.6% vs 1.6%), rubber and plastics and non-metallic mineral products (-0.3% vs -1.1%), and coke and refined petroleum (-0.4% vs -1.6%). These declines, however, were partially offset by a strong rebound in machinery and equipment (3.9% vs -7.0%), electrical equipment (6.3% vs -9.0%), and computer, electronic, and optical products (1.6% vs -3.0%). On a yearly basis, manufacturing output fell 0.5%, the first annual decline in four months, following a 1.3% increase in January.