THE WORLD FACTBOOK — Reference Edition 2026

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.

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
Geographic coordinates: 54 00 N, 2 00 W
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 243,610 sq km
land: 241,930 sq km
water: 1,680 sq km
Area - comparative: twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 499 km
border countries: Ireland 499 km
Coastline: 12,429 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast
Elevation: highest point: Ben Nevis 1,345 m
lowest point: The Fens -4 m
mean elevation: 162 m
Natural resources: coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land
Land use: agricultural land: 70.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 25% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 45.2% (2023 est.)
forest: 13.4% (2023 est.)
other: 14.7% (2023 est.)
Irrigated land: 718 sq km (2018)
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
Natural hazards: winter windstorms; floods
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

Population: total: 68,751,311 (2025 est.)
male: 34,145,455
female: 34,605,856
Nationality: noun: Briton(s), British (collective plural)
adjective: British
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.)
Languages: English
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.)
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)
Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 56.7 (2025 est.)
youth dependency ratio: 26 (2025 est.)
elderly dependency ratio: 30.7 (2025 est.)
potential support ratio: 3.3 (2025 est.)
Median age: total: 40.9 years (2025 est.)
male: 40.1 years
female: 41.5 years
Population growth rate: 0.4% (2025 est.)
Birth rate: 10.76 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 9.25 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
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
Urbanization: urban population: 84.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 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)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth: 29 years (2018 est.)
Maternal mortality ratio: 8 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate: total: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
male: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 82.2 years (2024 est.)
male: 80.1 years
female: 84.4 years
Total fertility rate: 1.64 children born/woman (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 0.8 (2025 est.)
Drinking water source: improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 11.3% of GDP (2022)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 20.7% of national budget (2022 est.)
Physician density: 3.3 physicians/1,000 population (2023)
Hospital bed density: 2.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)
Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: urban: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: rural: rural: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
improved: total: total: 99.8% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: urban: urban: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: rural: rural: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
unimproved: total: total: 0.2% of population (2022 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate: 27.8% (2016)
Alcohol consumption per capita: total: 9.8 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 3.3 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 2.35 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use: total: 11.5% (2025 est.)
male: 13.3% (2025 est.)
female: 9.8% (2025 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 0.6% (2019 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49): 49.7% (2021 est.)
Child marriage: women married by age 18: 0% (2021)
Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP): 5.9% of GDP (2021 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 11.8% national budget (2021 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total: 18 years (2022 est.)
male: 17 years (2022 est.)
female: 18 years (2022 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
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
Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast
Land use: agricultural land: 70.3% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 25% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 45.2% (2023 est.)
forest: 13.4% (2023 est.)
other: 14.7% (2023 est.)
Urbanization: urban population: 84.6% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions: 340.94 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 17.093 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 197.133 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 126.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Methane emissions: energy: 353.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)
agriculture: 1,030.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
waste: 1,070.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
other: 62 kt (2019-2021 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.)
Total water withdrawal: municipal: 6.227 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
industrial: 1.01 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
agricultural: 1.183 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 147 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Geoparks: total global geoparks and regional networks: 10 (2025)
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)

Country name: 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
abbreviation: UK
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"
Government type: parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Capital: name: London
geographic coordinates: 51 30 N, 0 05 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
time zone note: the time statements apply to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories
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
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
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)
Legal system: common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998
Constitution: history: uncoded; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
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)
International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)
head of government: Prime Minister Keir STARMER (since 5 July 2024)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister
Legislative branch: legislature name: UK Parliament
legislative structure: bicameral
Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name: House of Commons
number of seats: 650 (all directly elected)
electoral system: plurality/majority
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 5 years
most recent election date: 7/4/2024
parties elected and seats per party: Labour Party (411); Conservative Party (121); Liberal Democrats (72); Other (46)
percentage of women in chamber: 40.5%
expected date of next election: July 2029
Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name: House of Lords
number of seats: 800 (all appointed)
parties elected and seats per party: Conservative Party (286); Labour Party (212); Liberal Democrats (76); Crossover (Independents) 180; other (6)
percentage of women in chamber: 31%
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
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
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires James ROSCOE (since 11 September 2025)
chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500
FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870
email address and website: ukin.washington@fcdo.gov.ukhttps://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Warren A. STEPHENS (since 21 May 2025)
embassy: 33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US
mailing address: 8400 London Place, Washington DC 20521-8400
telephone: [44] (0) 20-7499-9000
FAX: [44] (0) 20-7891-3845
email address and website: SCSLondon@state.govhttps://uk.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh
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
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)
National holiday: the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
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
National symbol(s): lion (all of Britain); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland)
National color(s): red, white, blue (all of Britain); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)
National anthem(s): title: "God Save the King"
lyrics/music: unknown
history: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem for many Commonwealth nations
National heritage: total World Heritage Sites: 33 (28 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Bermuda
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)

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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $3.636 trillion (2024 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $3.596 trillion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $3.582 trillion (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024: 1.1% (2024 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4.8% (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2024: $52,500 (2024 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $52,500 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2022: $53,000 (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $3.644 trillion (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 3.3% (2024 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 6.8% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 7.9% (2022 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.6% (2024 est.)
industry: 16.7% (2024 est.)
services: 72.8% (2024 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 61.3% (2023 est.)
government consumption: 20.5% (2023 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 17.6% (2023 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.4% (2023 est.)
exports of goods and services: 32% (2023 est.)
imports of goods and services: -33.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural products: milk, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, chicken, rapeseed, pork, beef, oats (2023)
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
Industrial production growth rate: -0.5% (2024 est.)
Labor force: 35.359 million (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024: 4.2% (2024 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2022: 3.8% (2022 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total: 12.4% (2024 est.)
male: 14.9% (2024 est.)
female: 9.7% (2024 est.)
Population below poverty line: 18.6% (2017 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021: 32.4 (2021 est.)
Average household expenditures: on food: 8.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3% (2021 est.)
highest 10%: 24.6% (2021 est.)
Remittances: Remittances 2024: 0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
Remittances 2023: 0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2022: 0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)
Budget: revenues: $1.211 trillion (2023 est.)
expenditures: $1.442 trillion (2023 est.)
Public debt: Public debt 2023: 138.6% of GDP (2023 est.)
Taxes and other revenues: 27.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Current account balance: Current account balance 2024: -$96.634 billion (2024 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$118.354 billion (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2022: -$70.962 billion (2022 est.)
Exports: Exports 2024: $1.117 trillion (2024 est.)
Exports 2023: $1.078 trillion (2023 est.)
Exports 2022: $1.041 trillion (2022 est.)
Exports - partners: USA 14%, China 8%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 7%, Ireland 7% (2023)
Exports - commodities: cars, gold, gas turbines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)
Imports: Imports 2024: $1.158 trillion (2024 est.)
Imports 2023: $1.114 trillion (2023 est.)
Imports 2022: $1.1 trillion (2022 est.)
Imports - partners: China 13%, USA 11%, Germany 10%, France 5%, Norway 4% (2023)
Imports - commodities: cars, gold, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas (2023)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $174.598 billion (2024 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $177.915 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $176.41 billion (2022 est.)
Exchange rates: Currency: British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2024: 0.782 (2024 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 0.805 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 0.811 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 0.727 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2020: 0.78 (2020 est.)

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
electrification - urban areas: 99.9%
electrification - rural areas: 100%
Electricity: installed generating capacity: 114.749 million kW (2023 est.)
consumption: 262.166 billion kWh (2023 est.)
exports: 9.449 billion kWh (2023 est.)
imports: 33.212 billion kWh (2023 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 28.961 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels: 36.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
nuclear: 13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
solar: 4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
wind: 30.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectricity: 1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
biomass and waste: 12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors: 9 (2025)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 2 (2025)
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 5.88GW (2025 est.)
Percent of total electricity production: 12.5% (2023 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 36 (2025)
Coal: production: 1.568 million metric tons (2023 est.)
consumption: 7.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)
exports: 981,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
imports: 6.633 million metric tons (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 26 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Petroleum: total petroleum production: 753,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 1.406 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas: production: 34.029 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
consumption: 63.553 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
exports: 15.842 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
imports: 45.226 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
proven reserves: 180.661 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)
Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 94.28 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions: 26.627 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 39 (2023 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions: 84.1 million (2024 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 122 (2024 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.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total: 28.2 million (2023 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2023 est.)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: G
Airports: 1,057 (2025)
Heliports: 139 (2025)
Railways: total: 16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified
Merchant marine: total: 868 (2023)
by type: bulk carrier 34, container ship 46, general cargo 62, oil tanker 13, other 713
Ports: total ports: 185 (2024)
large: 7
medium: 24
small: 67
very small: 86
size unknown: 1
ports with oil terminals: 67
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
Transportation - note: begun in 1988 and completed in 1994, the Channel Tunnel (nicknamed the Chunnel) is a 50.5-km (31.4-mi) rail tunnel under the English Channel at the Strait of Dover; it runs from Folkestone, Kent, in England to Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais, in northern France and is the only fixed link between the island of Great Britain and mainland Europe

Military and security forces: United Kingdom Armed Forces (aka British Armed Forces, aka His Majesty's Armed Forces): British Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2025)
Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2025: 2.4% of GDP (2025 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 2.3% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2021: 2.3% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 138,000 Regular Forces (75,000 Army including the Gurkhas; 32,000 Navy including the Royal Marines; 31,000 Air Force) (2025)
Military 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 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)
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 - 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 NATOthe 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)

Space agency/agencies: UK Space Agency (UKSA; established in 2010) (2025)
Space launch site(s): Spaceport 1 (Outer Hebrides, Scotland); Spaceport Machrihanish (Argyll, Scotland); Glasgow Prestwick (South Ayrshire, Scotland); Spaceport Snowdonia (Gwynedd, Wales); SaxaVord UK Spaceport (Unst, Shetland Islands); Sutherland Spaceport (Sutherland, Scotland); Sutherland, Scotland (Cornwall Airport Newquay, Cornwall) (2024)
Space program overview: has a long-standing, comprehensive national space program; is active across all areas of the space sector except human space flight, including satellite launch vehicles (SLVs)/rockets, probes, satellites, and spaceports; is a founding member of the ESA and is deeply involved in ESA programs; has bilateral relations with many ESA members and is a close partner of the US NASA; since 2016 has forged over 350 relationships with international organizations across nearly 50 countries; participates in international programs such as the International Space Station and the James Webb Space Telescope; has a large commercial space sector; the UK has a space industrial plan, and the UK Space Agency has provided funding for commercial space projects (2025)
Key space-program milestones: 1957 - first suborbital sounding rocket (Skylark) launched1960s - first satellite (Ariel) launched by US; development of Black Arrow satellite launch vehicle (SLV); launched first of Skynet family of communications satellites1971 - 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 Germany1991 - first British astronaut into space to Russian Mir space station2015 - first British astronaut on International Space Station2019-2020 - began participating in US Gateway lunar orbital station program and signed US-led Artemis Accords for space and lunar exploration2024 - first military remote sensing satellite (Tyche) launched by US

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees: 640,460 (2024 est.)
stateless persons: 4,672 (2024 est.)
Illicit drugs: USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

United Kingdom