The ONS said the fall in construction output was behind the surprise contraction, leading to the double dip.
A technical recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of contraction. The figure produced by the ONS is an early estimate and is subject to at least two further revisions in the coming months.
The ONS said output of the production industries decreased by 0.4%, construction decreased by 3%, and output of the service sector increased by 0.1%.
The UK economy was last in recession in 2009.
Matthew Cheung, chief economist at the market analysts RANsquawk, said: “In the City, jaws dropped almost as fast as the pound. After several months of conflicting economic data, the run-up to these numbers had more than a hint of Russian roulette to it. In the event, the country took the recessionary bullet.
“The next few months are clearly coin toss territory, with even Mervyn King predicting that the economy could switch between growth and contraction this year.
“Though the economy's future prospects are highly uncertain, the chances of imminent monetary stimulus got slimmer after the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee became noticeably more hawkish in April.
“With the prospect of further QE next month looking much less certain, any growth in the shrinking economy will have to be driven by Britain's still skittish and wary consumers."
But a technical recession is less significant to the housing market than the impact on sentiment, according to property adviser Hamptons International. Adam Challis, head of research at Hamptons International, said: “This is a disappointing result for the fragile UK economy, seeking to build some momentum towards a sustained recovery. It also has important implications for confidence in the housing market. Based on current transaction volumes, we are moving house once every 25 years, which is simply unsustainable.
“While today’s figures are a setback, this period of relative economic stabilisation has created opportunities for property buyers to take advantage of realistic pricing and very attractive mortgage rates.
“The supply of housing for sale in London and the South of England has improved by 6% since the start of the year. We are advising clients to take advantage of the Spring market, which is likely to be particularly active this year ahead of the London Olympics.”
