The U.K. economy showed a surprise contraction in September and only marginal growth in the third quarter, initial figures showed Friday.

The U.K. economy grew less than expected in the third quarter of the year, showing only marginal growth following a rebound at the start of the year, initial figures showed Friday. Gross domestic product came in at 0.

The expansion was led by a 0.1% rise in the services sector and a 0.8% increase in construction output, while production fell 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in July-September. On an annual basis, GDP in the UK is estimated to have risen 1% in the third quarter of this year.

Japan’s economy eked out an annual rate of 0.9% growth in the July-September quarter as consumer spending held up.

The Japanese economy managed to continue growing for a second straight quarter thanks to a recovery in consumption.

The UK economy expanded by only 0.1% in the three months to September compared to the previous quarter, offset by declines in manufacturing and information and communication services.

Japan’s economy shrank in the September quarter, contracting 2.1 per cent. This was a much steeper decline than anticipated and follows an expansion of 4.5 per cent in the previous quarter. The weak economic numbers are due to lacklustre consumption and low levels of capital expenditure.