West of England emerges as UK most productive region outside London despite severe infrastructure bottlenecks

The Brunel Centre’s Strategic Economic Audit finds the West of England is the UK's most productive region outside London, despite major transport hurdles.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 21, 2026, 5:51 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from University of Bath

A New Benchmark for Regional Economic Vitality

The West of England has officially secured its position as a primary engine of the United Kingdom’s economy, reaching peak productivity among all Combined Authority areas outside of London in 2023. According to a new Strategic Economic Audit conducted by the Brunel Centre, the region’s post-pandemic recovery has significantly outperformed national averages. This success is driven by a unique concentration of globally competitive universities and world-leading industrial clusters in the digital, creative, and knowledge-intensive sectors, positioning the region as a critical hub for high-value innovation.

The Paradox of Success and Structural Strains

Despite its status as an economic powerhouse, the West of England faces a complex set of internal pressures that threaten to derail its long-term trajectory. Dr. Lucy Martin, Director of the Brunel Centre, notes that while the region’s growth has exceeded the national average consistently since 2008, the foundational conditions for this success are under extreme strain. The audit highlights that structural constraints in the physical and digital landscape are creating a "productivity gap" between the region's raw potential and its current operational reality.

Transport Infrastructure as a Defining Liability

One of the most critical findings in the report identifies transport as a primary hurdle for the region, with urban congestion in Bristol and Bath ranking among the highest in the UK. The current system is characterized by unreliable, slow, and poorly integrated public transport options, which hinder the movement of the region's high-skilled labor pool. This lack of connectivity is not merely an inconvenience; researchers argue it is a defining challenge that limits the ability of surrounding areas to retain talent and participate fully in the regional trade surplus.