2024 Edition Primary

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 1701 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

note

note 1: the percentage area breakdown of the four UK countries is: England 53%, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%note 2: includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland

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 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 from tidal waters

Irrigated land

718 sq km (2018)

Land boundaries

border countries

Ireland 499 km

total

499 km

Land use

agricultural land

71% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 25.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 45.7% (2018 est.)

forest

11.9% (2018 est.)

other

17.1% (2018 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, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and 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

10.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

women married by age 18

0.1% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

76.1% (2010/12)

note

note: percent of women aged 16-49

Current health expenditure

12% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

50.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

29.8

potential support ratio

3.4 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.7

youth dependency ratio

27.8

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2020 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 (2024 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.5 beds/1,000 population (2019)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

4.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

English

note

note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland), Scottish Gaelic (about 60,000 speakers 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 people in Cornwall) (2012 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.4 years

male

80.1 years

total population

82.2 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

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

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

41.5 years

male

40.1 years

total

40.8 years (2024 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29 years (2018 est.)

note

note: data represents England and Wales only

Nationality

adjective

British

noun

Briton(s), British (collective plural)

Net migration rate

2.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

27.8% (2016)

Physician density

3 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

female

34,453,610 (2024 est.)

male

34,005,445

total

68,459,055 United Kingdom

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, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast

Population growth rate

0.45% (2024 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

improved: total

total: 99.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.2% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

18 years (2020)

male

17 years

total

17 years

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

13.5% (2020 est.)

male

17.3% (2020 est.)

total

15.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2024 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

amendments

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); many previous, last in 2020 -  The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020, European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020

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

self-descriptive country name; the designation "Great Britain," in the sense of "Larger Britain," dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from "Little Britain," or Brittany in modern France; the name Ireland derives from the Gaelic "Eriu," the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the 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 Jane HARTLEY (since 19 July 2022)

consulate(s) general

Belfast, Edinburgh

email address and website

SCSLondon@state.govhttps://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 Karen Elizabeth PIERCE (since 8 April 2020)

consulate(s) general

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

email address and website

ukin.washington@fcdo.gov.ukhttps://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)

elections/appointments

the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; election last held on 12 December 2019 (next to be held no later than 28 January 2025)

head of government

Prime Minister Keir STARMER (Labor) (since 5 July 2024)

note

note 1: in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 14 additional Commonwealth countries (these 15 states are each referred to as a Commonwealth realm)note 2: King CHARLES succeeded his mother, Queen ELIZABETH II, after serving as Prince of Wales (heir apparent) for over 64 years - the longest such tenure in British history

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

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 formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales 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); 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); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in 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 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

description

bicameral Parliament consists of:House of Lords (membership not fixed; as of December 2023, 784 lords were eligible to participate in the work of the House of Lords - 667 life peers, 91 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy; members are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission); note - House of Lords total does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absenceHouse of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier)

election results

House of Lords - composition - men 556, women 228, percentage women 29%House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Labor 33.7%, Conservative 23.7%, Lib Dems 12.2%, Green 6.7%, SNP 2.5%, independents 2.0%, Sinn Fein .7%, Plaid Cymru .7%, Workers Party .7%, DUP .6%, other 2.9%; seats by party -  Labor 411, Conservative 121, Lib Dems 72, SNP 9, Sinn Fein 7, independents 6, DUP 5, Reform UK 5, Green 4, Plaid Cymru 4, SDLP 2, other 4; composition - men 387, women 263, percentage women 40.3%

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; elections held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise)House of Commons - last held on 4 July 2024 (next to be held 4 July 2029)

National anthem

lyrics/music

unknown

name

"God Save the King"

note

note: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the UK; 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 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 (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

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, barley, sugar beets, potatoes, chicken, rapeseed, oats, pork, beef (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

3.4% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

8.5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$1.291 trillion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$1.136 trillion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA- (2020)

Moody's rating

Aaa (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA (2016)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

-$14.886 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$100.436 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$110.393 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

high-income, diversified, 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, and post-Brexit trade frictions; fiscal austerity in face of high public debt 

Exchange rates

Currency

British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

0.783 (2019 est.)

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.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$929.185 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$1.029 trillion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$1.075 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, cars, gas turbines, crude petroleum, packaged medicine (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 13%, Netherlands 9%, Germany 9%, China 8%, Ireland 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

32.2% (2023 est.)

government consumption

20.7% (2023 est.)

household consumption

61.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-33.4% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

18.3% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.7% (2023 est.)

industry

16.9% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

72.8% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.34 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

32.4 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

25% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

3% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$933.904 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$1.115 trillion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$1.116 trillion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

natural gas, cars, crude petroleum, gold, garments (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 12%, Germany 10%, US 10%, Norway 8%, Netherlands 5% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

0.14% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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) 2021

2.52% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.92% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.79% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

35.275 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

18.6% (2017 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

142.28% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$3.542 trillion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$3.696 trillion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$3.7 trillion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

8.67% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

4.35% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.1% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$52,800 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$54,500 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$54,100 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.11% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.13% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.12% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$194.181 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$176.41 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$177.915 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

27.3% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

4.83% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.73% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

4.06% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

10.5% (2023 est.)

male

14.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

12.5% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

19.558 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

139.848 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

194.001 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

353.407 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

8.568 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

691,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

7.792 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

1.891 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

26 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

287.128 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

20.793 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

15.451 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

111.02 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

26.125 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

100%

electrification - total population

100% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

99.9%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

13.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

41.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

1.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

13.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

4.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

25.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

99.499 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

70.141 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

23.475 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

56.501 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

37.758 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

180.661 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

5.88GW (2023 est.)

Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down

36 (2023)

Number of nuclear reactors under construction

2 (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

9 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

12.5% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

1.397 million bbl/day (2023 est.)

total petroleum production

753,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

40 (2020 est.)

total

27,330,297 (2020 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 (2018)

Communications - note

note 1: the British Library claims to be the largest library in the world with well over 150 million items and in most known languages; it receives copies of all books produced in the UK or Ireland, as well as a significant proportion of overseas titles distributed in the UK; in addition to books (print and digital), holdings include: journals, manuscripts, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, maps, prints, patents, and drawingsnote 2: on 1 May 1840, the United Kingdom led the world with the introduction of postage stamps; the Austrian Empire had examined the idea of an "adhesive tax postmark" for the prepayment of postage in 1835; while the suggestion was reviewed in detail, it was rejected for the time being; other countries (including Austria) soon followed the UK's example with their own postage stamps; by the 1860s, most countries were issuing stamps; originally, stamps had to be cut from sheets; the UK issued the first postage stamps with perforations in 1854

Internet country code

.uk

Internet users

percent of population

97% (2021 est.)

total

64.99 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 48 per 100 and mobile-cellular is 120 per 100 (2021)

general assessment

UK’s telecom market remains one of the largest in Europe, characterized by competition, affordable pricing, and its technologically advanced systems; mobile penetration above the EU average; government to invest in infrastructure and 5G technologies with ambition for a fully-fibered nation by 2033; operators expanded the reach of 5G services in 2020; super-fast broadband available to about 95% of customers; London is developing smart city technology, in collaboration with private, tech, and academic sectors (2021)

international

country code - 44; Landing points for the GTT Atlantic, Scotland-Northern Ireland -1, & -2, Lanis 1,-2, &-3, Sirius North, BT-MT-1, SHEFA-2, BT Highlands and Islands Submarine Cable System, Northern Lights, FARICE-1, Celtic Norse, Tampnet Offshore FOC Network, England Cable, CC-2, E-LLan, Sirius South, ESAT -1 & -2, Rockabill, Geo-Eirgrid, UK-Netherlands-14, Circle North & South, Ulysses2, Conceto, Farland North, Pan European Crossing, Solas, Swansea-Bream, GTT Express, Tata TGN-Atlantic & -Western Europe, Apollo, EIG, Glo-1, TAT-14, Yellow, Celtic, FLAG Atlantic-1, FEA, Isle of Scilly Cable, UK-Channel Islands-8 and SeaMeWe-3 submarine cables providing links throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, 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 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

29.798 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

121 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

81.564 million (2022 est.)

Airports

1,043 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

G

Heliports

92 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

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

note

 note: includes Channel Islands (total fleet 2; general cargo 1, other 1); excludes Isle of Man

total

868 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

6,198,370,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

165,388,610 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

794

number of registered air carriers

20 (2020)

Pipelines

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

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

Roadways

total

416,461 km (2022)

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 beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover that runs from Folkestone, Kent, England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais in northern France; it is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe

Waterways

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

Military - note

the British military has a long history, a global presence, and a wide range of missions and responsibilities; these responsibilities include protecting the UK, its 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 and has made considerable military contributions to NATO missions in such places as Afghanistan, the Baltics, and Iraq, as well the Baltic and Mediterranean seas and the waters of the North Atlanticthe 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 wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operationsthe British Armed Forces were formed in 1707 as the armed forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain when England and Scotland merged under the terms of the Treaty of Union; while the origins of the armed forces of England and Scotland stretch back to the Middle Ages, the first standing armies for England and Scotland were organized in the 1600s while the navies were formed in the 1500s; the Royal Marines were established in 1755; the Royal Air Force was created in April 1918 by the merger of the British Army's Royal Flying Corps and the Admiralty's Royal Naval Air Service (2024)

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 (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 145,000 regular forces (80,000 Army including the Gurkhas; 33,000 Navy including the Royal Marines; 32,000 Air Force) (2024)

note

note: the military also has approximately 40-45,000 reserves and other personnel on active duty

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 1,000 in Estonia (NATO), over 1,000 in the Falkland Islands, almost 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 inventory of the British military is comprised mostly of domestically produced weapons and equipment, with a smaller mix of some imported Western weapons systems, particularly from the US; the UK defense industry is capable of producing a wide variety of air, land, and sea weapons systems and is one of the world's top weapons suppliers; it also cooperates with other European countries and the US in the research and development of weapons systems (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2020

2.4% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

2.3% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

2.3% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.3% of GDP (2023)

Military Expenditures 2024

2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)

Military service age and obligation

some variations by service, but generally 16-36 years of age for enlisted (with parental consent under 18) and 18-29 for officers; minimum length of service 4 years; women serve in all military services including combat roles; conscription abolished in 1963 (2024)

note

note 1: women made up 11.7% of the military's full-time personnel in 2024note 2: the British military allows Commonwealth nationals who are current UK residents and have been in the country for at least 5 years to apply; it also accepts Irish citizensnote 3: the British Army has continued the historic practice of recruiting Gurkhas from Nepal to serve in the Brigade of Gurkhas; the British began to recruit Nepalese citizens (Gurkhas) into the East India Company Army during the Anglo-Nepalese War (1814-1816); the Gurkhas subsequently were brought into the British Indian Army and by 1914, there were 10 Gurkha regiments, collectively known as the Gurkha Brigade; following the partition of India in 1947, an agreement between Nepal, India, and Great Britain allowed for the transfer of the 10 regiments from the British Indian Army to the separate British and Indian armies; four of the regiments were transferred to the British Army, where they have since served continuously as the Brigade of Gurkhas

Illicit drugs

a major consumer and transshipment point, though not a source, for illicit drugs; among the highest consumer of heroin and cocaine in Europe; one of the largest markets for cannabis; a major source of precursor or essential chemicals used in the production of illicit narcotics

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

21,904 (Iran), 15,615 (Eritrea), 11,371 (Sudan), 12,155 (Syria), 10,259 (Afghanistan), 8,009 (Pakistan), 7,699 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 255,060 (Ukraine) (as of 12 March 2024)

stateless persons

5,483 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

UK Space Agency (UKSA; established in 2010); the UKSA replaced the British National Space Center (BNSC; organized in 1985); UK Space Command (formed 2021) (2024)

Space launch site(s)

Spaceport 1 (Outer Hebrides, Scotland; operational 2023); Spaceport Machrihanish (Argyll, Scotland; operational 2024); Glasgow Prestwick (South Ayrshire, Scotland; operational 2024 for horizontal launches); Spaceport Snowdonia (Gwynedd, Wales; operational 2024); SaxaVord UK Spaceport (Unst, Shetland Islands; operational 2023); Sutherland Spaceport (Sutherland, Scotland; operational 2024); Sutherland, Scotland (Cornwall Airport Newquay, Cornwall; operational 2023 for horizontal launches) (2024)

Space program overview

has a comprehensive space program and is active across all areas of the space sector outside of launching humans into space, including satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets and their components, space probes, satellites and satellite subcomponents, space sensors, spaceports, and various other space-related technologies; as a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA), it is heavily involved in ESA programs and has bi-lateral relations with many members; is a close partner of the US NASA and since 2016 has forged over 350 relationships with international organizations across nearly 50 developing countries; has a large commercial space sector that produces SLVs, SLV components, satellites, satellite subcomponents and sensors, and other space-related technologies; the UK has a space industrial plan, and the UKSA has provided funding to encourage and support commercial space projects (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Terrorist group(s)

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

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

379.02 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

49.16 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

9.52 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

Environment - current issues

air pollution improved but remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry

Environment - international 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

Geoparks

global geoparks and regional networks

Black Country; Cuilcagh Lakelands (includes Ireland); English Riviera; Fforest Fawr; GeoMôn; Mourne Gullion Strangford; North Pennines AONB; North-West Highlands; Shetland (2023)

total global geoparks and regional networks

9

Land use

agricultural land

71% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 25.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 45.7% (2018 est.)

forest

11.9% (2018 est.)

other

17.1% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

147 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.18 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

1.01 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

6.23 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

84.6% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

31.567 million tons (2014 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

8,602,008 tons (2015 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

27.3% (2015 est.)