PARIS / RankWire.AI / – During the second quarter of 2026, economic expansion across OECD nations experienced a modest uptick, with gross domestic product increasing by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter. This is an improvement from the 0.4% growth recorded in the first quarter, based on provisional data released on August 24. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that 27 of the 30 countries with available data saw positive growth during this period. The remaining three economies experienced no change in GDP.
Looking at the broader picture, recent figures indicate widespread growth across the OECD, though the pace varied significantly among member states. Ireland led with the highest quarterly increase at 3.9%, followed closely by Israel at 3.6%. Meanwhile, Austria, Belgium, and Chile saw their output remain steady throughout the quarter. The overall regional results also demonstrate a stronger annual performance, with OECD GDP being 2.3% higher than a year earlier. This compares to an annual growth rate of 1.7% in the first quarter.
Compared to the overall OECD results, the performance of the G7 economies appeared more subdued. The combined G7 GDP growth slowed to 0.3% in the second quarter from 0.4% in the first. Germany and Italy each expanded by 0.2%, while Japan’s growth stood at 0.3%. Both the United Kingdom and the United States achieved 0.4% growth for the quarter. Canada saw its pace accelerate to 0.8% after no growth in the previous quarter, whereas France rebounded from a 0.1% contraction to achieve 0.2% growth.
G7 Growth Decelerates as Canada Speeds Up
The moderation observed across five G7 economies was driven by weaker performance in several key sectors. In Japan, private consumption remained flat, inventories declined, and investment decreased. The United Kingdom experienced declines in private and government consumption. In the United States, slower export growth, inventory reductions, and reduced government spending all contributed to the slowdown. Despite these setbacks, the OECD region as a whole showed a slightly faster pace of growth.
The most notable contrasts emerged in Canada and France. Canada’s economy shifted from zero growth in the first quarter to a robust 0.8% increase in the second. France reversed its 0.1% contraction from the first quarter, expanding by 0.2%. Meanwhile, Ireland and Israel recorded significantly stronger quarterly gains compared to other OECD members. The three economies with unchanged GDP during this period were Austria, Belgium, and Chile.
OECD’s Yearly Growth Rate Climbs to 2.3%
On a year-over-year basis, the second-quarter data reveal a broader acceleration across the OECD. The GDP was 2.3% higher than in the same period of 2025, an increase from the 1.7% annual growth observed in the first quarter. Among G7 nations, the United States posted the strongest yearly increase at 2.1%, whereas Japan showed the slowest growth within the group at 0.5%. It is important to note that annual growth figures provide a different perspective from quarter-on-quarter changes, offering a separate measure of economic progress.
The OECD described these second-quarter estimates as provisional. The report included data from 30 member countries, for which second-quarter GDP figures were available at the time of release. The next quarterly GDP update is scheduled for November 19, 2026. The August results remain the latest comprehensive measure of second-quarter expansion among the member states, indicating an overall faster growth rate amid slower progress within the G7.