Official statistics on Friday added almost 2 per cent to the size of the UK economy, in a surprise move that showed the country recovered much faster from the pandemic than previously reported. The Office for National Statistics revisions, which also mean that Britain is no longer the worst performing economy in the G7, will come as a relief to the UK government as it struggles with inflation pressures and a cost of living crisis. The changes reveal that, by the end of 2021, the country’s economy was 0.6 per cent larger than pre-pandemic levels — instead of 1.2 per cent smaller, as previously estimated.