The bar chart illustrates the proportion of the United Kingdom’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) generated by the IT and service industries between 1992 and 2000.
Overall, both sectors showed steady growth throughout the period, with the IT industry rising more sharply than the service sector.
In 1992, the IT industry accounted for just 4% of GDP, compared with 6% for the service sector. By 1994, these figures had climbed slightly to 6% and 7% respectively. Growth continued in 1996, when IT rose to 8% and services reached 10%.
From 1996 onwards, the gap between the two sectors widened. By 1998, IT had increased to 10%, while services advanced more moderately to 12%. The upward trend culminated in 2000, when the IT industry doubled its 1992 share to 12%, an overall rise of 8 percentage points. Meanwhile, the service industry expanded to 14%, reflecting a less dramatic increase of 8 percentage points over the same period.
These figures highlight that, although both sectors strengthened, the IT industry expanded at a faster pace, underscoring its growing importance in the UK economy.