FOI reference: FOI-2026-3810
You asked
I write in relation to the release of market-sensitive UK economic data, such as labour market reports, CPI inflation, GDP growth, retail sales, etc.
Some years ago, these releases were at 9:30am. The release time has since changed to 7am.
I request the following:
- Has the ONS studied the feasibility of returning these releases to the prior time of 9:30am?
- If not, is such a feasibility study likely to be undertaken?
- Can the ONS provide information on the pros and cons of changing the release time, or leaving the release time as it now is?
- Is the release time of UK data under regular review?
- Are any organisations typically given advanced-sight of the releases in question?
We said
Thank you for your request.
We have reviewed the feasibility of returning the release time for market sensitive economic statistics to the standard release time of 9:30am. Please see the outcome of this review published in March 2025. It included the pros and cons of releasing at 7am and 9:30am as identified at the time.
The Office for Statistics Regulation require that any alternative release time is regularly reviewed. We have recently run a public consultation on this subject. It closed on 30 October 2026 and we are currently considering the findings to inform a recommendation about the time for releasing these statistics in the future.
Pre-release access to Office for National Statistics (ONS) statistics is only given in exceptional circumstances. Please see details of where pre-release access to ONS statistics has been granted.