2020 Edition

Background

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1707 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw 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 of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998. The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as "Brexit" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.

Area

land

241,930 sq km

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

highest point

Ben Nevis 1,345 m

lowest point

The Fens -4 m

mean elevation

162 m

Geographic coordinates

54 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km (22 mi) from France and linked by tunnel under the English Channel (the Channel Tunnel or Chunnel); because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km (78 mi) from tidal waters

Irrigated land

718 sq km (2018)

Land boundaries

border countries

Ireland 499 km

total

499 km

Land use

agricultural land

70.3% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 25% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 45.2% (2023 est.)

forest

13.4% (2023 est.)

other

14.7% (2023 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

Population distribution

the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and in far-eastern Northern Ireland, centered on Belfast

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years

16.7% (male 5,872,937/female 5,592,665)

15-64 years

63.9% (male 22,062,643/female 21,702,401)

65 years and over

19.3% (2024 est.) (male 6,069,865/female 7,158,544)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

2.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

9.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

3.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

10.76 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 18

0% (2021)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

0.6% (2019 est.)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

49.7% (2021 est.)

Death rate

9.25 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.7 (2025 est.)

potential support ratio

3.3 (2025 est.)

total dependency ratio

56.7 (2025 est.)

youth dependency ratio

26 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 100% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP)

5.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Education expenditure (% national budget)

11.8% national budget (2021 est.)

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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.8 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP)

11.3% of GDP (2022)

Health expenditure (as % of national budget)

20.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.4 years

male

80.1 years

total population

82.2 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

9.648 million LONDON (capital), 2.791 million Manchester, 2.665 million Birmingham, 1.929 million West Yorkshire, 1.698 million Glasgow, 952,000 Southampton/Portsmouth (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

female

41.5 years

male

40.1 years

total

40.9 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

adjective

British

noun

Briton(s), British (collective plural)

Net migration rate

2.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.8% (2016)

Physician density

3.3 physicians/1,000 population (2023)

Population

female

34,605,856

male

34,145,455

total

68,751,311 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

0.4% (2025 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

improved: rural

rural: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: total

total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: total

total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

18 years (2022 est.)

male

17 years (2022 est.)

total

18 years (2022 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1.02 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.85 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

9.8% (2025 est.)

male

13.3% (2025 est.)

total

11.5% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.64 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

84.6% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

England: 24 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*) two-tier counties: Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire 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 unitary authorities: Bath and North East Somerset; Bedford; Blackburn with Darwen; Blackpool; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Bracknell Forest; Brighton and Hove; City of Bristol; Buckinghamshire; Central Bedfordshire; Cheshire East; Cheshire West and Chester; Cornwall; Darlington; Derby; Dorset; 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 Northamptonshire; North Somerset; Northumberland*; Nottingham; Peterborough; Plymouth; 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; West Northamptonshire; Wiltshire; Windsor and Maidenhead; Wokingham; York Northern Ireland: 5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils borough councils: Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim district councils: Derry City and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh Scotland: 32 council areas 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 Wales: 22 unitary authorities 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

Capital

daylight saving time

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

etymology

the name derives from the Roman settlement of Londinium, established on the current site of London around A.D. 43; the original meaning of the name is uncertain

geographic coordinates

51 30 N, 0 05 W

name

London

time difference

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

time zone note

the time statements apply to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years

Constitution

amendment process

proposed as a bill for an Act of Parliament by the government, by the House of Commons, or by the House of Lords; passage requires agreement by both houses and by the monarch (Royal Assent)

history

uncoded; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Country name

abbreviation

UK

conventional long form

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

conventional short form

United Kingdom

etymology

the name United Kingdom is self-descriptive; the name Britain probably derives from the Celtic word pretani, meaning "painted people;" the designation of Great Britain for England, Scotland, and Wales dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from Little Britain, or Brittany, in modern France; the name Ireland evolved from the Gaelic name Eriu, which is possibly derived from the Old Celtic iveriu, meaning "good land"

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 (12)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Warren A. STEPHENS (since 21 May 2025)

consulate(s) general

Belfast, Edinburgh

email address and website

SCSLondon@state.gov https://uk.usembassy.gov/

embassy

33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US

FAX

[44] (0) 20-7891-3845

mailing address

8400 London Place, Washington DC 20521-8400

telephone

[44] (0) 20-7499-9000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires James ROSCOE (since 11 September 2025)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

ukin.washington@fcdo.gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington

FAX

[1] (202) 588-7870

telephone

[1] (202) 588-6500

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the prime minister

chief of state

King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)

election/appointment process

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Keir STARMER (since 5 July 2024)

Flag

description: blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white on top of the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is on top of the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland) history: the official name is the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags

Government type

parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm

Independence

no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union 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 become Northern Ireland and remain part of the UK); 12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain 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, 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, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNSOM, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices, including the court president and deputy president)

judge selection and term of office

judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, then recommended to the prime minister, and appointed by the monarch; justices serve for life

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

legislative structure

bicameral

legislature name

UK Parliament

Legislative branch - lower chamber

chamber name

House of Commons

electoral system

plurality/majority

expected date of next election

July 2029

most recent election date

7/4/2024

number of seats

650 (all directly elected)

parties elected and seats per party

Labour Party (411); Conservative Party (121); Liberal Democrats (72); Other (46)

percentage of women in chamber

40.5%

scope of elections

full renewal

term in office

5 years

Legislative branch - upper chamber

chamber name

House of Lords

number of seats

800 (all appointed)

parties elected and seats per party

Conservative Party (286); Labour Party (212); Liberal Democrats (76); Crossover (Independents) 180; other (6)

percentage of women in chamber

31%

National anthem(s)

history

in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem; 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 for many Commonwealth nations

lyrics/music

unknown

title

"God Save the King"

National color(s)

red, white, blue (all of Britain); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast (n); Ironbridge Gorge (c); Stonehenge, Avebury, and Associated Sites (c); Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (c); Blenheim Palace (c); City of Bath (c); Tower of London (c); St Kilda (m); Maritime Greenwich (c); Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (c); Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (c); The English Lake District (c)

total World Heritage Sites

33 (28 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Bermuda

National holiday

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday

National symbol(s)

lion (all of Britain); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland)

Political parties

Alliance Party or APNI (Northern Ireland)  Conservative and Unionist Party  Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland)  Green Party of England and Wales or Greens  Labor (Labour) Party  Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru)  Reform UK  Scottish National Party or SNP  Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland)  Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland)  Traditional Unionist Voice or TUV  UK Independence Party or UKIP  Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland)  Workers Party of Great Britian

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, chicken, rapeseed, pork, beef, oats (2023)

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on food

8.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.442 trillion (2023 est.)

revenues

$1.211 trillion (2023 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2022

-$70.962 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$118.354 billion (2023 est.)

Current account balance 2024

-$96.634 billion (2024 est.)

Economic overview

high-income, non-EU European economy; global financial center and dominant service sector; sluggish growth from stringent monetary policy, reduced business investment, low productivity and participation rates; fiscal austerity in face of high public debt 

Exchange rates

Currency

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2020

0.78 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.727 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.811 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.805 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2024

0.782 (2024 est.)

Exports

Exports 2022

$1.041 trillion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.078 trillion (2023 est.)

Exports 2024

$1.117 trillion (2024 est.)

Exports - commodities

cars, gold, gas turbines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)

Exports - partners

USA 14%, China 8%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 7%, Ireland 7% (2023)

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

32% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.5% (2023 est.)

household consumption

61.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-33.1% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.6% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.4% (2023 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.6% (2024 est.)

industry

16.7% (2024 est.)

services

72.8% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.644 trillion (2024 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

32.4 (2021 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

24.6% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3% (2021 est.)

Imports

Imports 2022

$1.1 trillion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.114 trillion (2023 est.)

Imports 2024

$1.158 trillion (2024 est.)

Imports - commodities

cars, gold, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas (2023)

Imports - partners

China 13%, USA 11%, Germany 10%, France 5%, Norway 4% (2023)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.5% (2024 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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.9% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.8% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

3.3% (2024 est.)

Labor force

35.359 million (2024 est.)

Population below poverty line

18.6% (2017 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2023

138.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$3.582 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$3.596 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024

$3.636 trillion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.8% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.4% (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2024

1.1% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2022

$53,000 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$52,500 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2024

$52,500 (2024 est.)

Remittances

Remittances 2022

0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Remittances 2024

0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$176.41 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$177.915 billion (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024

$174.598 billion (2024 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2022

3.8% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2024

4.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

9.7% (2024 est.)

male

14.9% (2024 est.)

total

12.4% (2024 est.)

Coal

consumption

7.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports

981,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports

6.633 million metric tons (2023 est.)

production

1.568 million metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves

26 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

consumption

262.166 billion kWh (2023 est.)

exports

9.449 billion kWh (2023 est.)

imports

33.212 billion kWh (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity

114.749 million kW (2023 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

28.961 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99.9%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

fossil fuels

36.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

hydroelectricity

1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

nuclear

13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

solar

4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

wind

30.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023

94.28 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

63.553 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

exports

15.842 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

imports

45.226 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

production

34.029 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

proven reserves

180.661 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

5.88GW (2025 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

36 (2025)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

2 (2025)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

9 (2025)

Percent of total electricity production

12.5% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.406 million bbl/day (2024 est.)

total petroleum production

753,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41 (2023 est.)

total

28.2 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

public-service British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the largest broadcasting company in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV; mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of international TV stations; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; large number of commercial and satellite radio stations available (2018)

Internet country code

.uk

Internet users

percent of population

96% (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

39 (2023 est.)

total subscriptions

26.627 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

122 (2024 est.)

total subscriptions

84.1 million (2024 est.)

Airports

1,057 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

G

Heliports

139 (2025)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 34, container ship 46, general cargo 62, oil tanker 13, other 713

total

868 (2023)

Ports

key ports

Aberdeen, Barrow-in-Furness, Barry, Belfast, Blyth, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Falmouth Harbour, Glasgow, Greenock, Grimsby, Immingham, Kingston-upon-Hull, Leith, Lerwick, Liverpool, London, Londonderry, Lyness, Manchester, Milford Haven, Newport, Peterhead, Plymouth, Portland Harbour, Portsmouth Harbour, Southampton, Sunderland, Teesport, Tynemouth

large

7

medium

24

ports with oil terminals

67

size unknown

1

small

67

total ports

185 (2024)

very small

86

Railways

total

16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified

Transportation - note

begun in 1988 and completed in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel under the English Channel at the Strait of Dover; it runs from Folkestone, Kent, in England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France and is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe

Military - note

the British military has a long history, a global presence, and a wide range of missions and responsibilities, including protecting the UK, its dependencies and territories, national interests, and values, preventing conflict, providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international peacekeeping, building relationships, and fulfilling the UK’s alliance and treaty commitments; in addition to its role in the UN, the UK is a leading member of NATO the UK is a member of the Five Power Defense Arrangements (FPDA), a series of mutual assistance agreements reached in 1971 embracing Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK; in 2014, the UK led the formation of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a pool of high-readiness military forces from the Baltic and Scandinavian countries intended to respond to a wide range of contingencies both in peacetime and in times of crisis or conflict; the UK military also has strong bilateral ties with a variety of foreign militaries, particularly the US, with which it has a mutual defense treaty; British and US military forces have routinely operated side-by-side across a wide range of operations; other close military relationships include Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands; in 2010, for example, France and the UK signed a declaration on defense and security cooperation that included greater military interoperability and a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF), a deployable, combined Anglo-French military force for use in a range of crisis scenarios (2025)

Military and security forces

United Kingdom Armed Forces (aka British Armed Forces, aka His Majesty's Armed Forces): British Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2025)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 138,000 Regular Forces (75,000 Army including the Gurkhas; 32,000 Navy including the Royal Marines; 31,000 Air Force) (2025)

Military deployments

the British military has more than 8,000 personnel on permanent or long-term rotational deployments around the globe in support of NATO, UN, or other commitments and agreements; key deployments include approximately 1,000 in Brunei, approximately 2,500 in Cyprus (includes 250 for UNFICYP), approximately 900-1,000 in Estonia (NATO), over 1,000 in the Falkland Islands, 500-600 in Gibraltar, and more than 1,000 in the Middle East; its air and naval forces conduct missions on a global basis; the British military also participates in large scale NATO exercises, including providing some 16,000 personnel for the 6-month 2024 Steadfast Defender exercise (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the British military's inventory is comprised of domestically produced armaments and imported Western weapons systems, particularly from the US; the UK defense industry is capable of producing air, land, and sea weapons systems and is one of the world's top weapons suppliers; it also cooperates with other European countries, as well as Australia and the US, in the research and development of weapons systems (2025)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2021

2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military Expenditures 2024

2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military Expenditures 2025

2.4% of GDP (2025 est.)

Military service age and obligation

16 years of age for enlisted ranks (with parental consent for under 18) and 18 years of age for officers; maximum age varies by military service; conscription abolished in 1963 (2026)

Illicit drugs

USG identification

major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees

640,460 (2024 est.)

stateless persons

4,672 (2024 est.)

Key space-program milestones

1957 - first suborbital sounding rocket (Skylark) launched 1960s - first satellite (Ariel) launched by US; development of Black Arrow satellite launch vehicle (SLV); launched first of Skynet family of communications satellites 1971 - first successful placement of satellite (Prospero) in orbit on a 3-stage Black Arrow SLV (Black Arrow SLV program ended in early 1970s) 1973 - began participating in development of Ariane SLV along with other European states, particularly France and Germany 1991 - first British astronaut into space to Russian Mir space station 2015 - first British astronaut on International Space Station 2019-2020 - began participating in US Gateway lunar orbital station program and signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration 2024 - first military remote sensing satellite (Tyche) launched by US

Space agency/agencies

UK Space Agency (UKSA; established in 2010) (2025)

Space launch site(s)

Spaceport 1 (Outer Hebrides, Scotland); Spaceport Machrihanish (Argyll, Scotland); Glasgow Prestwick (South Ayrshire, Scotland); Spaceport Snowdonia (Gwynedd, Wales); SaxaVord UK Spaceport (Unst, Shetland Islands); Sutherland Spaceport (Sutherland, Scotland); Sutherland, Scotland (Cornwall Airport Newquay, Cornwall) (2024)

Space program overview

has a long-standing, comprehensive national space program; is active across all areas of the space sector except human space flight, including satellite launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets, probes, satellites, and spaceports; is a founding member of the ESA and is deeply involved in ESA programs; has bilateral relations with many ESA members and is a close partner of the US NASA; since 2016 has forged over 350 relationships with international organizations across nearly 50 countries; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station and the James Webb Space Telescope; has a large commercial space sector; the UK has a space industrial plan, and the UK Space Agency has provided funding for commercial space projects (2025)

Terrorist group(s)

Continuity Irish Republican Army (CIRA); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); al-Qa'ida; Real Irish Republican Army (RIRA)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

17.093 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

126.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

197.133 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

total emissions

340.94 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats from housing, tourism, and industry

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Arran; Black Country; Cuilcagh Lakelands (includes Ireland); English Riviera; Fforest Fawr; GeoMôn; Mourne Gullion Strangford; North Pennines AONB; North-West Highlands; Shetland (2025)

total global geoparks and regional networks

10 (2025)

International environmental agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Methane emissions

agriculture

1,030.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

energy

353.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)

other

62 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste

1,070.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Particulate matter emissions

7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Total renewable water resources

147 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.183 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial

1.01 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal

6.227 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

30.771 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

34.2% (2022 est.)