The North West was the best performing region of the UK measured by the increase in gross value added per head in 2015, with Cheshire and Warrington performing particularly strongly, according to figures released over Christmas by the Office for National Statistics.

In 2015, GVA, a measure of the increase in the value of the economy due to production of goods and service, increased in all regions. The highest annual growth was in the North West at 3.0% and the lowest annual growth was in the East Midlands at 1.0%.

The average GVA per person in the North West was £21,867, equivalent to 86% of the UK average of £25,351.

The North West was also the fastest growing region in the UK in 2015 when looking at annual growth in total GVA in millions of pounds. Total GVA in the North West grew by 3.6% in 2015. East Midlands had the lowest rate of growth in total GVA at 1.8% in 2015.

At £30,000, Cheshire and Warrington had the second highest productivity per head of any area in England outside London, beaten only by the grouping of Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The worst performing sub-regions were Tees Valley, Durham, West Wales and The Valleys.

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