London, Feb 12 (IANS): Britain's gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 7.5 per cent in 2021, bouncing back from a 9.4 per cent fall in 2020, according to official data.

The country's GDP increased by 1 per cent in the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2021, contributed by increased clinic visits, Covid-19 testing and tracing activities and vaccination program, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) announced on Friday.

Despite the quarterly GDP growth, the ONS said it was still 0.4 per cent below the pre-pandemic level seen in Q4 2019, reports Xinhua news agency.

Monthly GDP dipped by 0.2 per cent in December and "is now in line with its pre-pandemic level", according to the ONS.

Services output fell by 0.5 per cent in December while manufacturing grew 0.2 per cent and construction grew two percent, said the ONS.

Darren Morgan, ONS director of Economic Statistics attributed the GDP fall in December to the Omicron wave with the retail and hospitality industries suffering the most.

"Despite December's setback, GDP grew robustly across the fourth quarter as a whole with the NHS (National Health Service), couriers and employment agencies all helping to support the economy," Morgan noted.