Independent economic think tank the National Institute of Economic and Social Research says it will take until 2015 before UK economic output recovers to the level it achieved in 2008.
The NIESR said: "Unless output turns down again, the recession is over, while the period of depression is likely to continue for some time. We do not expect output to pass its peak in early 2008 until 2015."
The NIESR says that the UK experienced growth of 0.8 per cent in the last quarter and overall 2013 will show GDP growth of 1.4 per cent followed by 2 per cent in 2014.
In its monthly calculation on GDP it suggests that output grew by 0.8 per cent in the three months ending in November after growth of 0.7 per cent in the three months ending in October 2013.
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This suggests the recent pattern of broad based sectoral growth has continued, the NIESR said, and it called the rates "robust."
The organisation said the figures are consistent with a gradual narrowing of the UK's negative output gap.
The National Institute interprets the term "recession" to mean a period when output is falling or receding, while "depression" is a period when output is depressed below its previous peak.