Government spending in the United Kingdom was approximately 44.7 percent of GDP in 2024/25, compared with 39.6 percent in 2019/20.

The gross domestic product of the United Kingdom in 2024 was around 2.78 trillion British pounds, an increase when compared to the previous year, when UK GDP amounted to about 2.75 trillion pounds. The significant drop in GDP visible in 2020 was due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the smaller declines in 2008 and 2009 because of the global financial crisis of the late 2000s. Low growth problem in the UK Despite growing by 0.9 percent in 2024, and 0.4 percent in 2023 the UK economy is not that much larger than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since recovering from a huge fall in GDP in the second quarter of 2020, the UK economy has alternated between periods of contraction and low growth, with the UK even in a recession at the end of 2023. While economic growth picked up somewhat in 2024, GDP per capita is lower than it was in 2022, following two years of negative growth. UK's global share of GDP falling As of 2024, the UK had the sixth-largest economy in the world, behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and India. Among European nations, this meant that the UK currently has the second-largest economy in Europe, although the economy of France, Europe's third-largest economy, is of a similar size. The UK's global economic ranking will likely fall in the coming years, however, with the UK's share of global GDP expected to fall from 2.16 percent in 2025 to 2.02 percent by 2029.  

The economy of the United Kingdom reported zero growth in July 2025, after growing by 0.4 percent in June 2025. As of the most recent month, the UK economy is around 4.8 percent larger than it was in February 2020, just before the start of COVID-19 lockdowns. After a record 19.6 percent decline in GDP in April 2020, the UK economy quickly returned to growth in the following months, and grew through most of 2021. Cost of living crisis lingers into 2025 As of December 2024, just over half of people in the UK reported that their cost of living was higher than it was in the previous month. Although this is a decline from the peak of the crisis in 2022 when over 90 percent of people reported a higher cost of living, households are evidently still under severe pressure. While wage growth has outpaced inflation since July 2023, overall consumer prices were 20 percent higher in late 2024 than they were in late 2021. For food and energy, which lower income households spend more on, late 2024 prices were almost 30 percent higher when compared with late 2021. According to recent estimates, living standards, as measured by changes in disposable income fell by 2.1 percent in 2022/23, but did start to grow again in 2023/24. Late 2023 recession followed by growth in 2024 In December 2023, the UK economy was approximately the same size as it was a year earlier, and struggled to achieve modest growth throughout that year. Going into 2023, a surge in energy costs, as well as high interest rates, created an unfavorable environment for UK consumers and businesses. The inflationary pressures that drove these problems did start to subside, however, with inflation falling to 3.9 percent in November 2023, down from a peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022. Although relatively strong economic growth occurred in the first half of 2024, with GDP growing by 0.7 percent, and 0.4 percent in the first two quarters of the year, zero growth was reported in the third quarter of the year. Long-term issues, such as low business investment, weak productivity growth, and regional inequality, will likely continue to hamper the economy going forward.

Quarterly summary of balance of payments accounts including the current account, capital transfers, transactions, and levels of UK external assets and liabilities.

Data underlying comparisons of UK productivity against that of the remaining G7 countries.

The UK economy grew by 0.1 percent in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 0.3 percent growth in the previous quarter. After ending 2023 in recession, the UK economy grew strongly in the first half of 2024, growing by 0.8 percent in Q1, and 0.6 percent in Q2, with growth slowing in the second half of the year. In the third quarter of 2020 the UK experienced record setting growth of 16.8 percent, which itself followed the record 20.3 percent contraction in Q2 2020. Growing economy key to Labour's plans Since winning the 2024 general election, the UK's Labour Party have seen their popularity fall substantially. In February 2025, the government's approval rating fell to a low of -54 percent, making them almost as disliked as the Conservatives just before the last election. A string of unpopular policies since taking office have taken a heavy toll on support for the government. Labour hope they can reverse their declining popularity by growing the economy, which has underperformed for several years, and when measured in GDP per capita, fell in 2023, and 2024. Steady labor market trends set to continue? After a robust 2022, the UK labor market remained resilient throughout 2023 and 2024. The unemployment rate at the end of 2024 was 4.4 percent, up from four percent at the start of the year, but still one of the lowest rates on record. While the average number of job vacancies has been falling since a May 2022 peak, there was a slight increase in January 2025 when compared with the previous month. The more concerning aspect of the labor market, from the government's perspective, are the high levels of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness, which reached a peak of 2.84 million in late 2023, and remained at high levels throughout 2024.

United Kingdom UK: GDP: Real: Net Current Transfer from Abroad data was reported at -16,012.095 GBP mn in 2013. This records a decrease from the previous number of -5,375.578 GBP mn for 2012. United Kingdom UK: GDP: Real: Net Current Transfer from Abroad data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 GBP mn from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2013, with 54 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28,210.320 GBP mn in 2008 and a record low of -16,012.095 GBP mn in 2013. United Kingdom UK: GDP: Real: Net Current Transfer from Abroad data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Real. Current transfers comprise transfers of income between residents of the reporting country and the rest of the world that carry no provisions for repayment. Net current transfers from abroad is equal to the unrequited transfers of income from nonresidents to residents minus the unrequited transfers from residents to nonresidents. Data are in constant local currency.; ; World Bank national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files.; ;

United Kingdom UK: GDP: PPP data was reported at 2,856,703.440 Intl $ mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,798,058.629 Intl $ mn for 2016. United Kingdom UK: GDP: PPP data is updated yearly, averaging 1,847,822.483 Intl $ mn from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,856,703.440 Intl $ mn in 2017 and a record low of 969,455.384 Intl $ mn in 1990. United Kingdom UK: GDP: PPP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Gross Domestic Product: Purchasing Power Parity. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as the U.S. dollar has in the United States. GDP is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources. Data are in current international dollars. For most economies PPP figures are extrapolated from the 2011 International Comparison Program (ICP) benchmark estimates or imputed using a statistical model based on the 2011 ICP. For 47 high- and upper middle-income economies conversion factors are provided by Eurostat and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).; ; World Bank, International Comparison Program database.; Gap-filled total;

Provides estimates of contributions to labour productivity, measured as output per hour (OPH), using the "Generalised Exactly Additive Decomposition" (GEAD) methodology as described in Tang and Wang (2004), UK.

Estimates of the balance of payments current and capital accounts, financial accounts, international investment position and external debt statement.

Graph and download economic data for National Accounts: GDP by Expenditure: Current Prices: Gross Domestic Product: Total for United Kingdom (GBRGDPNADSMEI) from 1960 to 2022 about United Kingdom and GDP.

Key information about United Kingdom Current Account Balance: % of GDP

• United Kingdom Current Account deficit accounted for 3.8 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2025, compared with a 2.8 % deficit in the previous quarter.
• UK Current Account Balance: % of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1955 to Jun 2025, with an average value of 58.0 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 78.7 % in Sep 2022 and a record low of 35.7 % in Sep 1975.

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 38.7 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 7.4 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad expanded by 84.2 USD mn in Jun 2025.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 26.1 USD bn in Jun 2025.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 1,029.9 USD bn in Sep 2025.

Quarterly levels for UK gross domestic product (GDP) expenditure components, in chained volume measures at market prices.

Annual estimates of balanced UK regional gross value added (GVA(B)). Current price estimates, chained volume measures and implied deflators for UK countries, ITL1, ITL2 and ITL3 regions, with a detailed industry breakdown.

The United Kingdom recorded a Current Account deficit of 2.20 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - United Kingdom Current Account to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The United Kingdom: GDP per capita, current U.S. dollars: The latest value from 2024 is 52636.79 U.S. dollars, an increase from 49200.81 U.S. dollars in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 19439.19 U.S. dollars, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for the United Kingdom from 1960 to 2024 is 22248.97 U.S. dollars. The minimum value, 1397.59 U.S. dollars, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 52636.79 U.S. dollars was recorded in 2024.

United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Insurance and Financial Services: % of Service Exports data was reported at 29.354 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 32.519 % for 2016. United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Insurance and Financial Services: % of Service Exports data is updated yearly, averaging 27.228 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2017, with 32 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35.974 % in 2007 and a record low of 13.995 % in 1989. United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Exports: Service: Insurance and Financial Services: % of Service Exports data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Balance of Payments: Current Account. Insurance and financial services cover various types of insurance provided to nonresidents by resident insurance enterprises and vice versa, and financial intermediary and auxiliary services (except those of insurance enterprises and pension funds) exchanged between residents and nonresidents.; ; International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files.; Weighted average; Note: Data are based on the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) and are only available from 2005 onwards.

United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Balance data was reported at -106.505 USD bn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of -154.873 USD bn for 2016. United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Balance data is updated yearly, averaging -18.371 USD bn from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2017, with 48 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.127 USD bn in 1981 and a record low of -161.162 USD bn in 2014. United Kingdom UK: BOP: Current Account: Balance data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Balance of Payments: Current Account. Current account balance is the sum of net exports of goods and services, net primary income, and net secondary income. Data are in current U.S. dollars.; ; International Monetary Fund, Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files.; ; Note: Data are based on the sixth edition of the IMF's Balance of Payments Manual (BPM6) and are only available from 2005 onwards.