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United Kingdom

2025 Edition · 449 data fields

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Introduction

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.

Geography

Area

Land: 241,930 sq km
Note: note 1: England covers 53% of the area, 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

Continent

Europe

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
number of neighbors: 1
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.)
arable land: 24.98%
Forest: 13.4% (2023 est.)
Other: 14.7% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 0.18%

Landlocked

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 links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/FoDtc3UKMkFsXAjHA
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/62149

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

Subregion

Northern Europe

Terrain

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

Time zone

UTC-08:00, UTC-05:00, UTC-04:00, UTC-03:00, UTC-02:00, UTC, UTC+01:00, UTC+02:00, UTC+06:00
number of time zones: 9

People and Society

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.)
adult female: 56 per 1,000
adult male: 91 per 1,000

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 total: 99.82%
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.)

Education expenditures

6 % of GDP

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

11 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 11.3% of GDP (2022)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 20.7% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1%

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
neonatal: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

English
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.)
number of languages: 1

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.)
note: note: data represents England and Wales only

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 total: 97.84%
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)

Vaccination rate

measles: 89%

Government

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

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/gb.svg

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
alternative spellings: GB, UK, Great Britain
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"
local long form (eng): United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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)
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 (each referred to as a "Commonwealth realm") note 2: King CHARLES III 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 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

Flag description

The flag of the United Kingdom — the Union Jack — has a blue field. It features the white-edged red cross of Saint George superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/gb.svg

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
Note: note: the number of total seats in the House of Lords does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence
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 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

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, chicken, rapeseed, pork, beef, oats (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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.)
Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $1.211 trillion (2023 est.)

Currency

code: GBP
name: British pound (GBP) [£]

Current account balance

$-80,648,042,937
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.)
Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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

$1.14 trillion
Exports 2022: $1.041 trillion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $1.078 trillion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $1.117 trillion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

cars, gold, gas turbines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

USA 14%, China 8%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 7%, Ireland 7% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $-12,955,141,485

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 0.6% (2024 est.)
Industry: 16.7% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 72.8% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.644 trillion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$53,246

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

35.1 (2017)
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

GNI (gross national income)

$3.66 trillion

GNI per capita

$49,470

Gross domestic investment

19 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 24.6% (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 3% (2021 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$1.17 trillion
Imports 2022: $1.1 trillion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $1.114 trillion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $1.158 trillion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

cars, gold, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 13%, USA 11%, Germany 10%, France 5%, Norway 4% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-0.5% (2024 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)

3.27%
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.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

35.359 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 35.47 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 0.85%
industry: 15.91%
services: 83.23%

Population below poverty line

18.6% (2017 est.)
note: note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

131 % of GDP
Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 138.6% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$4.29 trillion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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

1.13%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
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

$62,009
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
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

$4.83 billion
Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
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

$174.6 billion
Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
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.)

Revenue (excl grants)

35 % of GDP

Tax revenue

27 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

27.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

4.75%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
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.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 12.4% (2024 est.)

Energy

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.)
consumption per capita: 4,208 kWh
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.)
hydroelectric: 2.51%
Hydroelectricity: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear: 13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
renewable: 40.2%
Solar: 4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Wind: 30.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

2,128 kg of oil equivalent
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.)

Renewable energy consumption

12.2%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 41 per 100
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.)

Postal code format

@# #@@|@## #@@|@@# #@@|@@## #@@|@#@ #@@|@@#@ #@@|GIR0AA

Telephone calling code

+44

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2023 est.)
Total subscriptions: 26.627 million (2023 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 123 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 84.1 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 118.95 million passengers
registered carrier departures: 839,180 departures

Airports

1,057 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Left

Heliports

139 (2025)

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)

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

Vehicle registration code

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

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)
active duty personnel: 153,000
percent of total labor force: 0.45 %

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)
note: note: the military also maintains 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 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

2 % of GDP
current USD: $81,763,173,070
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.)
percent of central government expenditure: 5.25 %
percent of GDP: 2.28 % of GDP

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)
note: note 1: women serve in all branches and made up nearly 12% of the military's full-time personnel in 2025 note 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 citizens note 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

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 0.1881

Transnational Issues

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.)

Space

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)
note: note 1: the UKSA replaced the British National Space Center (BNSC; established in 1985); in 2025, the UK Government announced that the UKSA would be absorbed into the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) as of April 2026 note 2: in 2021, the British formed the joint service UK Space Command under the Ministry of Defense for military space operations, space workforce, and space capabilities

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)
note: note: the UK was part of several EU-sponsored space programs until departing the EU in 2020, including the Galileo global positioning system and the Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST) project; it remained part of the Copernicus Earth observation and Horizon Europe research and innovation programs after 2020; the UK has participated or continues to participate in multiple ESA programs, including Cassini-Huygens research mission to Saturn, the Mars Express space exploration missions, the Rosetta comet probe, and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

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

Environment

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.)

Protected areas

42 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

38 % of total

Total renewable water resources

147 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

6 % of internal resources
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.)