UK economy doomsters have been proven wrong, as Britain's growth is set to outpace that of Italy, France and Germany in the coming years.
Revised ONS figures have moved UK GDP during the Covid-19 pandemic and into 2022 upwards.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt heralded the updated figures, saying it proved those "determined to talk down the BRitish economy" wrong.
The new methodology, the ONS said, means the UK now has "one of the most up-to-date sets of estimates for this period of considerable economic change".
Revised ONS figures have moved UK GDP during the Covid-19 pandemic and into 2022 upwards
|ONS
The figures show the UK economy in the final quarter of 2021 was 0.6 percent larger than the final quarter of 2019, proving those who claimed the economy hasnt returned to pre-covid levels wrong.
The UK was previously believed to be the only nation that didn't recover from the pandemic.
In the updated figures, overall growth in 2021 was shown at 8.7 per cent.
This is drastic jump from the previous estimate of 1.1 per cent.
The crash caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was also revised, being reduced by 0.6 per cent.
Speaking about the revised data, Hunt said: "The fact that the UK recovered from the pandemic much faster than thought shows that once again those determined to talk down the British economy have been proved wrong.
"There are many battles still to win, most of all against inflation so we can ease cost of living pressures of families.
"But if we stick to the plan we can look forward to healthy growth which according to the IMF will be faster than Germany, France, and Italy in the long term."
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In the updated figures, overall growth in 2021 was shown at 8.7 per cent.
|PA
The ONS said: "Today the ONS has published updated and indicative estimates of GDP, which show that the economy was larger than we previously thought in 2020 and 2021, though our estimate for the UK’s monthly and quarterly economic trends is broadly unchanged."