Kevin Brown, savings expert at Scottish Friendly, comment's on todays GDP

“A 0.3% rise in Scottish GDP in November is a genuinely encouraging sign that the economy may be turning a corner, especially given the breadth of the recovery. The strength of the production and construction sectors is particularly notable, as these sectors have borne the brunt of global shocks over the past two years.

“Scotland’s economy has shown impressive resilience despite persistent geopolitical tensions. The good news is that this momentum looks like it has continued into 2026, with January’s PMI data revealing the strongest upswing in UK private-sector activity, including Scotland, since April 2024.

“There are also early signs that AI-driven productivity gains are beginning to feed through, which should disproportionately benefit services-heavy economies like Scotland’s. With growth firming, interest rates expected to fall and inflation likely to trend lower over the next 12 months, Scottish households could finally start to feel materially better off after a prolonged period of pressure on living standards.”