Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about the U.K. economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of the country best banks and safest banks are also available.
Basic Information
Government Type: Parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital City: London
GDP & Economic Information
Macroeconomy & Sovereign Data
| Central Bank |
Bank of England |
|---|---|
| Currency | British pounds (GBP) |
| International Reserves |
USD 239.19 billion (2021) International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved January 2022 |
| Gross Domestic Product – GDP |
USD 3,108.42 billion (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
| GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) |
USD 3,276.14 billion (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
GDP Data
| Real GDP growth |
2017: 1.7% 2018: 1.3% 2019: 1.4% 2020: –9.8% (Estimate) 2021: 6.8% (Estimate) |
|---|---|
| GDP per capita – current prices |
USD 46,200.26 (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
| GDP per capita – PPP |
USD 48,693.18 (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
| GDP (PPP) – share of world total |
2.27% (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
| GDP – composition by sector |
agriculture: 0.6% industry: 16.9% services: 72.8% (2020 estimate) |
| Gross domestic expenditure on R&D; (% of GDP) |
1.8% (2019) OECD, retrieved January 2022 |
| Inflation |
2017: 4.4% 2018: 4.1% 2019: 3.8% 2020: 4.5% (Estimate) 2021: 5.0% (Estimate) |
The United Kingdom
Capital Raising & Corporate Finance
Qatar’s Purchase Of Manchester United Stalls Due To Family Drama
Technology
Microsoft-Activision Deal Divides Regulators
Inflation & Debt
| Inflation |
2017: 4.4% 2018: 4.1% 2019: 3.8% 2020: 4.5% (Estimate) 2021: 5.0% (Estimate) |
|---|---|
| Government Bond Ratings |
Standard & Poor’s: AA Moody’s: Aa3 Standard & Poor’s / Moody’s (January 2022) |
| Unemployment rate |
2017: 4.4% 2018: 4.1% 2019: 3.8% 2020: 4.5% (Estimate) 2021: 5.0% (Estimate) |
| Household saving rates |
7.5% (2020) OECD, retrieved January 2022 |
| Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP) |
2017: 86.3% 2018: 85.8% 2019: 85.2% 2020: 104.5% (Estimate) 2021: 108.5% (Estimate) |
| Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP) |
2017: –0.6% 2018: –0.6% 2019: –0.9% 2020: –11.4% (Estimate) 2021: –10.8% (Estimate) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares |
USD 3,570.9 billion (2014) World Bank / Market capitalization |
| Largest Companies |
HSBC Holdings, Unilever, GlaxoSmithKline, Prudential, Vodafone, Barclays, Linde, AstraZeneca, Lloyds Banking Group, Legal & General Group, Anglo American, National Grid, Tesco, Diageo, Reckitt Benckiser Group, BT Group, LyondellBasell Industries, BP, Imperial Brands, Phoenix Group Holdings, Standard Chartered, M&G, NatWest Group, Willis Towers Watson, RELX, London Stock Exchange, Ferguson, SSE, CNH Industrial, Coca-Cola European Partners, Amcor, Compass Group, WPP, St. James’s Place, Liberty Global, Kingfisher, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Ashtead Group, Segro, Investec, Evraz Group, J Sainsbury, IHS Markit, International Airlines, Bunzl, Antofagasta, RSA Insurance Group, Mondi, Melrose Industries, 3i Group, Centrica, Quilter, Persimmon, Standard Life, Wm Morrison Supermarkets, Technipfmc, Admiral Group, Virgin Money UK, TP ICAP, Smith & Nephew, Johnson Matthey, JD Sports Fashion, Just Group, Royal Mail, Barratt Developments, Dixons Carphone |
Import/Export
| Exports as percent of GDP (Exports of goods and services) |
28.1% (2020) World Bank – World Development Indicators (updated Feb 2022) |
|---|---|
| Shares in world total merchandising export |
2.3% (2020) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) |
| Shares in world total commercial services export |
7.4% (2020) |
| Total exports |
USD 741.2 billion (2020 estimate) |
| Export commodities |
Cars, gas turbines, gold, crude petroleum, packaged medicines (2019) |
| Total imports |
USD 750.9 billion (2020 estimate) |
| Import commodities |
Gold, cars, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment (2019) |
| Exports – major partners |
United States 15%, Germany 10%, China 7%, Netherlands 7%, France 7%, Ireland 6% (2019) |
| Imports – major partners |
Germany 13%, China 10%, United States 8%, Netherlands 7%, France 6%, Belgium 5% (2019) |
Competitiveness & Trade
| Current account balance |
USD -104.6 billion (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
|---|---|
| Current account balance by percentage of GDP |
-3.4% (2021 estimate) IMF – World Economic Outlook, October 2021 |
| FDI inflows |
2019: USD 65.3 billion 2020: USD 45.5 billion 2021: USD 19.7 billion |
| FDI Outflows |
2019: USD 44.4 billion 2020: USD -6.1 billion 2021: USD 33.4 billion |
| Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser |
2018: USD 128 million 2019: USD 72.4 billion 2020: USD 17.8 billion 2021: USD 73.7 billion |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2014 | N/A |
| Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2015 | N/A |
| Best countries for doing business |
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm. Overall ranking: 8 out of 190 countries (2020) Subcategories: Starting a Business: 18 out of 190 countries Dealing with Construction Permits: 23 out of 190 countries Getting Electricity: 8 out of 190 countries Registering Property: 41 out of 190 countries Getting Credit: 37 out of 190 countries Protecting Minority Investors: 7 out of 190 countries Paying Taxes: 27 out of 190 countries Trading across Borders: 33 out of 190 countries Enforcing Contracts: 34 out of 190 countries Resolving Insolvency: 14 out of 190 countries World Bank – Doing Business 2020 |
| Global competitiveness ranking |
2 out of 141 (2019) World Economic Forum / Global competitiveness ranking |
| Index of Economic Freedom |
Ranking: 24 / Score: 72.7 (Mostly Free) The Heritage Foundation – 2022 Index of Economic Freedom |
Population & Geographic Data
| Time Zone |
UTC 0 |
|---|---|
| Total Area |
243,610 sq km |
| Total Population |
1990: 57.2 million 2000: 58.9 million 2010: 62.8 million 2015: 65.1 million 2020: 67.2 million |
| Urban population as % of total population |
1960: 78.4% 1980: 78.5% 2000: 78.7% 2020: 83.9% |
| Population median age |
40.6 years (2022 est.) |
| Population growth rate |
0.53% (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy |
81.9 years (2022 est.) |
| % of population living on less than $3.10 a day |
0.5% (last available estimate, 2017) |
| Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index) |
35.1 (last available estimate, 2017) (0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality) |
| Freedom House rating |
Total score: 93/100 Status: Free Political Rights: 39/40 Civil Liberties: 54/60 (2022) |
| Total telephone subscribers as % of population |
Fixed: 47.2% Mobile: 116.4% (2020) (fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers) |
| Internet users as % of total population |
94.8% (2020) |
Language & Religon
| Languages |
English / 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.) |
|---|---|
| Literacy | N/A |
| 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.) |
World Rankings
| Population | 67.2 M |
|---|---|
| Mercer Cost of living index | N/A |
| C02 Emissions per capita |
5.4 metric tons per capita (2018) |
Global Finance Rankings & Awards: The United Kingdom
Global Finance Magazine holds several conferences and awards ceremonies throughout the year to recognize the winning financial institutions and companies in a host of categories including World’s Best Trade Finance Banks, World's Biggest Banks, World's Safest Banks, World's Best Developed & Emerging Markets Banks, World's Best Internet Banks, and World’s Best Investment Banks.
Data Sources:
IMF World Economic Outlook
UN World Population Prospects
World Inequality Report
S&P Global Ratings
Moody’s
Fitch Ratings
IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS)
UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
CIA The World Factbook
World Bank’s World Integrated Trade Solution
Forbes Global 2000