PARIS / RankWire.AI / – In the second quarter of 2026, the OECD countries experienced a modest increase in economic output, 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 issued on August 24. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported that 27 out of 30 nations with available data expanded during this period. The remaining three economies saw no change in GDP.
The latest data reveal widespread growth across the OECD, although growth rates varied significantly among member countries. Ireland led with the fastest quarter-on-quarter increase at 3.9%, closely followed by Israel at 3.6%. Conversely, Austria, Belgium, and Chile recorded no growth during the quarter. The regional results also demonstrated a stronger annual performance, with OECD GDP being 2.3% higher than in the same quarter of 2025, surpassing the 1.7% annual growth seen in the first quarter.
Growth among the G7 economies was less robust compared to the broader OECD figures. G7 GDP growth slowed to 0.3% in the second quarter from 0.4% in the first. Germany and Italy each saw an increase of 0.2%, while Japan’s economy grew by 0.3%. The United Kingdom and the United States both experienced 0.4% quarterly growth. Canada saw a notable acceleration to 0.8% after no growth in the previous quarter, whereas France moved from a 0.1% contraction to a 0.2% growth.
G7 Growth Decelerates as Canada Sees Upswing
The slowdown among five G7 nations reflected weaker performance in several key output components. In Japan, private consumption remained flat, inventories declined, and investment decreased. The United Kingdom experienced lower private and government consumption. In the United States, a slowdown was driven by weaker export growth, falling inventories, and reduced government spending. Despite this, the broader OECD region registered a slightly faster pace of expansion.
The most pronounced differences were seen in Canada and France. Canada’s economy shifted from zero growth in the first quarter to 0.8% in the second. France reversed a 0.1% contraction in Q1 and grew by 0.2%. Meanwhile, Ireland and Israel posted significantly stronger quarterly gains than most other OECD countries. The three economies with unchanged GDP were Austria, Belgium, and Chile.
OECD’s Annual Growth Rises to 2.3%
On a yearly basis, the second-quarter figures showed a wider acceleration across the OECD, with GDP 2.3% higher than in the same period of 2025, compared to 1.7% annual growth in Q1. Among G7 nations, the United States reported the strongest annual growth at 2.1%, while Japan’s was the weakest at 0.5%. This annual comparison provides an alternative measure to the quarter-on-quarter changes in economic output.
The OECD described the second-quarter estimates as provisional. The release covered 30 member countries with available GDP data for the period. The organization has scheduled its next quarterly GDP update for November 19, 2026. As of now, the August figures represent the latest comprehensive data on second-quarter growth among the member economies, showing a marginally faster overall expansion amid slower growth within the G7.