Britain produces much more economic value per hour of work than it did 30 years ago, but that success hides a problem. According to a revised experimental estimate from the Office for National Statistics, UK output per hour was 40.7% higher in 2024 than in 1997. That is real progress. Yet the rate of improvement slowed sharply after the 2008 financial crisis. Under that revised measure, productivity grew by roughly 2% a year before the crisis versus around 1.3% a year between 2009 and 2019. The slowdown remains, although its size changes with the measurement method. So how does Britain compare with the other G7 economies? You have to ask two different questions. How much value is produced per hour? And how fast is that improving? Using comparable OECD data and purchasing power adjustments is essential. Otherwise, international rankings can mislead. The story also changes depending on where you look within the UK. In 2023, London's output per hour was 28.5% above the UK average. The South East was 7.7% above. Every other nation or English region was below that average. That does not mean anybody elsewhere works less hard. The jobs available, investment, equipment, infrastructure and mix of industries all matter. And even when productivity improves, it doesn't automatically show up in people's wallets. Pay might rise, profits might rise, prices might fall, or firms might reinvest. Meanwhile, rents, mortgages, energy and food bills shape what families can afford. Real wages and household spending power are not the same thing as output per hour. Businesses also face changing costs. Across the UK, the Office for National Statistics unit labour cost Index rose by about 98% between the first quarters of 1997 and 2024 in cash terms. This measures labour costs per unit of output, including employer contributions. It's an economy-wide measure, not Dan's actual bill. Energy, ingredients, rent and selling prices matter too and vary between businesses. Higher costs alone do not tell us what happened to profit. Though, what could change Britain's future? Better business investment, skills, technology, infrastructure and innovation can all help, but there is no single magic lever. The question isn't just whether Britain can produce more, it's whether those gains translate into better living standards across the whole United Kingdom. Explore the evidence and compare the data at UK Facts.