2015 Edition

Background

The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The UK is also an active member of the EU, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1999. The latter was suspended until May 2007 due to wrangling over the peace process, but devolution was fully completed in March 2010.

Area

land

241,930 sq km

note

includes Rockall and Shetland Islands

total

243,610 sq km

water

1,680 sq km

Area - comparative

twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

Climate

temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast

Coastline

12,429 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Ben Nevis 1,343 m

lowest point

The Fens -4 m

Environment - current issues

continues to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; by 2005 the government reduced the amount of industrial and commercial waste disposed of in landfill sites to 85% of 1998 levels and recycled or composted at least 25% of household waste, increasing to 33% by 2015

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

213.2 cu m/yr (2008)

total

13.03 cu km/yr (58%/33%/9%)

Geographic coordinates

54 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters

Irrigated land

2,280 sq km (2005)

Land boundaries

border countries (1)

Ireland 443 km

total

443 km

Land use

arable land 25.1%; permanent crops 0.2%; permanent pasture 45.7%

agricultural land

71%

forest

11.9%

other

17.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

winter windstorms; floods

Natural resources

coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land

Terrain

mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast

Total renewable water resources

147 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

17.37% (male 5,706,871/female 5,424,654)

15-24 years

12.41% (male 4,060,480/female 3,891,262)

25-54 years

40.91% (male 13,344,087/female 12,873,234)

55-64 years

11.58% (male 3,675,565/female 3,746,483)

65 years and over

17.73% (male 5,086,919/female 6,278,667) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

12.17 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

84%

note

percent of women aged 16-49 (2008/09)

Death rate

9.35 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

27.6%

potential support ratio

3.6% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

55.1%

youth dependency ratio

27.6%

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6% of GDP (2011)

Ethnic groups

white 87.2%, black/African/Caribbean/black British 3%, Asian/Asian British: Indian 2.3%, Asian/Asian British: Pakistani 1.9%, mixed 2%, other 3.7% (2011 est.)

Health expenditures

9.1% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.33% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 600 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

126,700 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

4.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

4.38 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English

note

the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland), Welsh (about 20% of the population of Wales), Irish (about 10% of the population of Northern Ireland), Cornish (some 2,000 to 3,000 in Cornwall) (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.83 years (2015 est.)

male

78.37 years

total population

80.54 years

Major urban areas - population

LONDON (capital) 10.313 million; Manchester 2.646 million; Birmingham 2.515 million; Glasgow 1.223 million; Southampton/Portsmouth 882,000; Liverpool 870,000 (2015)

Median age

female

41.6 years (2015 est.)

male

39.2 years

total

40.4 years

Nationality

adjective

British

noun

Briton(s), British (collective plural)

Net migration rate

2.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

29.8% (2014)

Physicians density

2.81 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

64,088,222 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.54% (2015 est.)

Religions

Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 99.1% of population

rural: 99.6% of population

total: 99.2% of population

urban: 0.9% of population

rural: 0.4% of population

total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

17 years (2012)

male

16 years

total

16 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.04 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.89 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

17.9% (2012 est.)

male

23.8%

total

21%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.88% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

82.6% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

borough councils

Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim

city councils

Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh

council areas

Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian

district councils

Derry and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down

England

27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)

London boroughs and City of London or Greater London

Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster

metropolitan districts

Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton

Northern Ireland

5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils

Scotland

32 council areas

two-tier counties

Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire

unitary authorities

Bath and North East Somerset, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, Durham County*, East Riding of Yorkshire, Halton, Hartlepool, Herefordshire*, Isle of Wight*, Isles of Scilly, City of Kingston upon Hull, Leicester, Luton, Medway, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Redcar and Cleveland, Rutland, Shropshire, Slough, South Gloucestershire, Southampton, Southend-on-Sea, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Swindon, Telford and Wrekin, Thurrock, Torbay, Warrington, West Berkshire, Wiltshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, York

unitary authorities

Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham

Wales

22 unitary authorities

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

51 30 N, 0 05 W

name

London

note

applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its overseas dependencies or territories

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice; note - recent additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, and the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 (2011)

Country name

abbreviation

UK

conventional long form

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales

conventional short form

United Kingdom

Dependent areas

Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Matthew Winthrop BARZUN (since 27 November 2013)

consulate(s) general

Belfast, Edinburgh

embassy

24 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6AH; note - a new embassy is scheduled to open by the end of 2017 in the Nine Elms area of Wandsworth

FAX

[44] (0) 20 7629-9124

mailing address

PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040

telephone

[44] (0) 20 7499-9000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Peter John WESTMACOTT (since 17 January 2012)

consulate(s)

Orlando (FL)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 588-7870

telephone

[1] (202) 588-6500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; David Cameron (Conservative) assumed office 11 May 2010

head of government

Prime Minister David CAMERON (since 11 May 2010)

Flag description

blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); properly known as the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and British overseas territories

Government type

constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm

Independence

12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland); notable earlier dates: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England and Scotland as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNRWA, UNSC (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom

judge selection and term of office

judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations to the prime minister, and appointed by Her Majesty The Queen; justices appointed during period of good behavior

subordinate courts

England and Wales - Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland - Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland - Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

Legal system

common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (774 seats - membership not fixed; consists of 662 life peers, 86 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy - as of September 2015; members appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission) and the House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by first-past-the-post vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)

election results

House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 36.8%, Labor 30.5%, UKIP 12.7%, Lib Dems 7.9%, SNP 4.7%, Greens 3.8%, other 3.6%; seats by party - Conservative 330, Labor 232, SNP 56, Lib Dems 8, DUP 8, Sinn Fein 4, Plaid Cymru 3, SDLP 3, Ulster Unionist Party 2, UKIP 1, Greens 1, other 2

elections

House of Lords - no elections (note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain there; elections are held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise); House of Commons - last held on 8 May 2015 (next to be held by May 2020)

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown

name

"God Save the Queen"

note

in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the United Kingdom; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem of many Commonwealth nations

National holiday

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

National symbol(s)

lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance Party (Northerm Ireland) [David FORD]

Conservative Party [David CAMERON]

Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Peter ROBINSON]

Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Natalie BENNETT]

Labor Party [Jeremy CORBYN]

Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Tim FARRON]

Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Leanne WOOD]

Respect Party [George GALLOWAY]

Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON]

Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Gerry ADAMS]

Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Alasdair MCDONNELL]

Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland) [Mike NESBITT]

UK Independence Party or UKIP [Nigel FARAGE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Confederation of British Industry

National Farmers' Union

Trades Union Congress

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

Budget

expenditures

$1.106 trillion (2014 est.)

revenues

$936.2 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

0.5% (31 December 2014)

0.5% (31 December 2013)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

4.4% (31 December 2014 est.)

4.37% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$162.2 billion (2014 est.)

-$119.9 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$8.795 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

$8.572 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

32.4 (2012)

33.4 (2010)

Economy - overview

The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining and the UK has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output.

In 2012, weak consumer spending and subdued business investment weighed on the economy, however, in 2013 GDP grew 1.7% and in 2014, 2.6%, accelerating unexpectedly because of greater consumer spending and a recovering housing market.

The Bank of England (BoE) implemented an asset purchase program of ?375 billion (approximately $586 billion) as of December 2014. During times of economic crisis, the BoE coordinates interest rate moves with the European Central Bank, but Britain remains outside the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded Britain's economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which aimed to lower London's budget deficit from about 11% of GDP in 2010 to nearly 1% by 2015. The CAMERON government raised the value added tax from 17.5% to 20% in 2011. It has pledged to reduce the corporation tax rate to 20% by 2015. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 6.0% in 2014.

Exchange rates

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

0.6003 (2014 est.)

0.6391 (2013 est.)

0.63 (2012 est.)

0.624 (2011 est.)

0.6472 (2010 est.)

Exports

$503.4 billion (2014 est.)

$476.6 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

Exports - partners

Germany 10.8%, US 10.4%, Netherlands 8.1%, Switzerland 7.2%, France 6.5%, Ireland 6.4%, Belgium 4.5% (2014)

Fiscal year

6 April - 5 April

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

28.4%

government consumption

19.5%

household consumption

64.8%

imports of goods and services

-30.3%

investment in fixed capital

17.1%

investment in inventories

0.6%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

(2014 est.)

agriculture

0.6%

industry

20.6%

services

78.8%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$39,500 (2014 est.)

$38,500 (2013 est.)

$37,900 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.6% (2014 est.)

1.7% (2013 est.)

1.7% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$2.945 trillion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$2.549 trillion (2014 est.)

$2.485 trillion (2013 est.)

$2.445 trillion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

12.2% of GDP (2014 est.)

12.5% of GDP (2013 est.)

12.6% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

31.1% (2012)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

$802.1 billion (2014 est.)

$824.4 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Germany 14.9%, China 9%, Netherlands 7.8%, US 6.5%, France 6.1%, Belgium 5.2%, Italy 4.1% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (2014 est.)

Industries

machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (2014 est.)

2.6% (2013 est.)

Labor force

32.62 million (2013 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

1.3%

industry

15.2%

services

83.5% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

$2.903 trillion (31 December 2011)

$3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

15% (2013 est.)

Public debt

79.1% of GDP (2014 est.)

74.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

note

data cover general government debt, and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$109.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$108.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.567 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.491 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$1.884 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.815 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$1.446 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$1.37 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.812 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

$3.699 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$114.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$108.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

32.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.2% (2014 est.)

7.6% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

568.3 million Mt (2013 est.)

Crude oil - exports

526,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - imports

567,200 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

816,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

2.961 billion bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

303.8 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - exports

2.72 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

76% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

4.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

11.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

Electricity - imports

20.5 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

76.44 million kW (31 December 2014 est.)

Electricity - production

335 billion kWh (2014 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

71.68 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

9.915 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

48.38 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - production

38.34 billion cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

241 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

1.328 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

511,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

445,300 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

1.306 million bbl/day (2013 est.)

Broadcast media

public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2008)

Internet country code

.uk

Internet users

percent of population

89.9% (2014 est.)

total

57.3 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 206, FM 696, shortwave 3 (2008)

Telephone system

domestic

equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems

general assessment

technologically advanced domestic and international system

international

country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

52 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

33.24 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

123 (2014 est.)

total

78.5 million

Television broadcast stations

940 (2008)

Airports

460 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

89

2,438 to 3,047 m

29

914 to 1,523 m

80

over 3,047 m

7

total

271

under 914 m

66 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

160 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

26

total

189

Heliports

9 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 33, cargo 76, carrier 4, chemical tanker 58, container 178, liquefied gas 6, passenger 7, passenger/cargo 66, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 31, vehicle carrier 25

foreign-owned

271 (Australia 1, Bermuda 6, China 7, Denmark 43, France 39, Germany 59, Hong Kong 12, Ireland 1, Italy 3, Japan 5, Netherlands 1, Norway 32, Sweden 28, Taiwan 11, Tanzania 1, UAE 8, US 14)

registered in other countries

308 (Algeria 15, Antigua and Barbuda 1, Argentina 2, Australia 5, Bahamas 18, Barbados 6, Belgium 2, Belize 4, Bermuda 14, Bolivia 1, Brunei 2, Cabo Verde 1, Cambodia 1, Cayman Islands 2, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 2, Cyprus 7, Georgia 5, Gibraltar 6, Greece 6, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 33, Indonesia 2, Italy 2, Liberia 22, Liberia 32, Luxembourg 5, Malta 21, Marshall Islands 12, Marshall Islands 3, Moldova 3, Nigeria 2, NZ 1, Panama 37, Panama 5, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Sierra Leone 1, Singapore 6, Thailand 6, Tonga 1, US 4, unknown 1) (2010)

total

504

Pipelines

condensate 502 km; condensate/gas 9 km; gas 28,603 km; liquid petroleum gas 59 km; oil 5,256 km; oil/gas/water 175 km; refined products 4,919 km; water 255 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Felixstowe (3,248,592), London (1,932,000), Southampton (1,324,581)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside

major seaport(s)

Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales)

oil terminals

Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland)

Railways

broad gauge

303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland)

standard gauge

30,555.5 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2014)

total

30,858.5 km

Roadways

paved

394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009)

total

394,428 km

Waterways

3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

14,307,316 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

14,856,917

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

11,779,679 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

12,255,452

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

365,491 (2010 est.)

male

383,989

Military branches

Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013)

Military expenditures

2.49% of GDP (2012)

2.48% of GDP (2011)

2.49% of GDP (2010)

Military service age and obligation

16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services, but are excluded from ground combat positions and some naval postings; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2012)

Disputes - international

in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted U.K. citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the United Kingdom created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Illicit drugs

producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

11,583 (Eritrea); 11,510 (Iran); 9,467 (Zimbabwe); 9,039 (Afghanistan); 8,509 (Somalia); 5,669 (Pakistan) (2014)

stateless persons

16 (2014)