PARIS / RankWire.AI / – In the second quarter of 2026, OECD countries experienced a slight increase in economic activity, with gross domestic product rising by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter. This follows a 0.4% growth in the first quarter, based on provisional estimates published on August 24. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that 27 out of 30 countries with available data showed expansion during the quarter. The remaining three economies’ GDP remained unchanged.
The latest data indicates widespread growth within the OECD region, although the pace varied considerably among member states. Ireland experienced the fastest quarter-on-quarter increase at 3.9%, with Israel close behind at 3.6%. Conversely, Austria, Belgium, and Chile saw no change in their output during this period. The regional figures also reflected a stronger year-over-year performance, with OECD GDP being 2.3% higher than the same quarter in 2025, compared to 1.7% annual growth in the first quarter.
The G7 economies underperformed relative to the broader OECD trend. G7 countries collectively saw GDP growth slow to 0.3% in the second quarter from 0.4% in the first. Germany and Italy each grew by 0.2%, Japan’s expansion was 0.3%, while the United Kingdom and the United States both recorded quarterly growth of 0.4%. Canada’s economy accelerated to 0.8% after a flat performance in the previous quarter, and France returned to 0.2% growth following a 0.1% contraction.
G7 Growth Decelerates as Canada Gains Momentum
The slowdown across five G7 nations reflected declines in several key components of output. Japan’s private consumption stagnated, inventories decreased, and investment fell. The United Kingdom experienced weaker private and government consumption. In the United States, a slowdown was driven by reduced export growth, inventory declines, and lower government spending. As a result, the G7’s overall growth rate eased even though the broader OECD region saw a slightly faster pace of expansion.
The most noticeable differences were seen in Canada and France. Canada’s economy shifted from zero growth in the first quarter to 0.8% in the second, while France reversed a 0.1% contraction and grew by 0.2%. Among the other countries, Ireland and Israel recorded much more robust quarterly increases than most other OECD members. The three nations with no change in GDP were Austria, Belgium, and Chile.
OECD’s Yearly Growth Rate Climbs to 2.3%
On an annual basis, the second-quarter figures indicated a broader acceleration across the OECD. GDP was 2.3% higher than in the same period of 2025, up from 1.7% in the first quarter. Within the G7, the United States recorded the highest annual increase at 2.1%, whereas Japan experienced the smallest at 0.5%. This annual comparison provides an alternative measure to the quarter-on-quarter changes in economic output.
The OECD characterized the second-quarter estimates as provisional. The data included 30 member countries with available GDP figures at the time of release. The organization scheduled its next quarterly GDP update for November 19, 2026. The August figures remain the most recent comprehensive measure of second-quarter growth across the available member economies, showing a marginally faster overall expansion despite a slowdown among the G7 countries.