The statistic shows GDP per capita in the United Kingdom from 1987 to 2020, with projections up until 2030. In 2020, GDP per capita in the United Kingdom was at around 40,230.55 US dollars. The same year, the total UK population amounted to about 67.26 million people. The United Kingdom is among the leading countries in a world GDP ranking.Falling unemployment in a time of recessionGDP is a useful indicator when it comes to measuring the state of a nation’s economy. GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period of time, usually a year. GDP per capita equals exactly the GDI (gross domestic income) per capita and is not a measure of an individual’s personal income.As can be seen clearly in the statistic, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the United Kingdom is beginning to increase, albeit not to pre-recession levels. The UK is beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, though as of yet it remains unclear what sort of recovery this is. Questions have been raised as to whether the growth being seen is the right sort of growth for a well balanced recovery across the necessary sectors. An interesting oddity occurred in the United Kingdom for nine months in 2012, which saw a decreasing unemployment occurring at the same time as dip in nationwide economic productivity. This seems like good - if not unusual - news, but could be indicative of people entering part-time employment. It could also suggest that labor productivity is falling, meaning that the UK would be less competitive as a nation. The figures continue to rise, however, with an increase in employment in the private sector. With the rate of inflation in the UK impacting everyone’s daily lives, it is becoming increasingly difficult for vulnerable groups to maintain a decent standard of living.

Labour market activity by nationality, country of birth and age, UK, published quarterly, non-seasonally adjusted. Labour Force Survey. These are official statistics in development.

In the first quarter of 2025, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom was highest in Wales, where it was 5.2 percent, followed by England at 4.4 percent, Scotland at 4.3 percent, and 1.6 percent in Northern Ireland, the lowest rate among the four countries of the UK. For all four countries, the peak in unemployment during this period was in the early 2010s. England and Scotland's unemployment rates were highest in Q4 2011 at 8.4 percent and 8.6 percent respectively, with unemployment reaching 9.7 percent in Wales during Q3 2011. Northern Ireland reported its highest unemployment rate in Q1 of 2013 when it reached eight percent. Unemployment ticking up as UK enters 2025 For the United Kingdom as a whole, the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November 2024, the joint-highest rate recorded since August 2021. After reaching 8.5 percent in late 2011, unemployment in the UK fell quite consistently for several years, with this recovery interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw unemployment rise to 5.3 percent in late 2020 and early 2021. From this point onwards, however, the labor market bounced back, and was particular strong in 2022 when there were a record number of job vacancies and unemployment fell to as low as 3.6 percent. While the labor market cooled throughout 2023 and 2024, unemployment remained at historically low levels. Overall economy grows but GDP per head falls Throughout the whole of 2024, gross domestic product in the UK grew by 0.9 percent, but in the third quarter of the year, there was no economic growth, followed by the relatively weak growth rate of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter. Furthermore, GDP per head in the UK, declined for a second-consecutive year, and was just 36,977 pounds in 2024, compared with 37,371 pounds in 2022. Inflation, meanwhile, has fallen from the peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022, but was still at the relatively high rate of 4 percent at the start of 2024, with this falling to 2.5 percent by the end of the year.

The gross domestic product of the United Kingdom was around 2.56 trillion British pounds, an increase when compared to the previous year, when UK GDP amounted to about 2.54 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.  

Quarterly estimates of total trade, trade in goods, and trade in services by country, seasonally adjusted.

Key information about United Kingdom Foreign Direct Investment: % of GDP

• United Kingdom Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) registered a fall equal to 0.9 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with a fall equal to 1.7 % in the previous quarter.
• UK Foreign Direct Investment: % of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1987 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 23.5 % in Sep 2005 and a record low -11.8 % in Jun 2009.

CEIC calculates Foreign Direct Investment as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Foreign Direct Investment and quarterly Nominal GDP. Office for National Statistics provides Foreign Direct Investment in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency.


Related information about United Kingdom Foreign Direct Investment: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 13.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad fell by 7.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 2.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The economy was seen by 49 percent of people in the UK as one of the top three issues facing the country in June 2025. The ongoing cost of living crisis afflicting the UK, driven by high inflation, is still one of the main concerns of Britons. Immigration has generally been the second most important issue since the middle of 2024, just ahead of health, which was seen as the third-biggest issue in the most recent month. Labour's popularity continues to sink in 2025 Despite winning the 2024 general election with a strong majority, the new Labour government has had its share of struggles since coming to power. Shortly after taking office, the approval rating for Labour stood at -2 percent, but this fell throughout the second half of 2024, and by January 2025 had sunk to a new low of -47 percent. Although this was still higher than the previous government's last approval rating of -56 percent, it is nevertheless a severe review from the electorate. Among several decisions from the government, arguably the least popular was the government withdrawing winter fuel payments. This state benefit, previously paid to all pensioners, is now only paid to those on low incomes, with millions of pensioners not receiving this payment in winter 2024. Sunak's pledges fail to prevent defeat in 2024 With an election on the horizon, and the Labour Party consistently ahead in the polls, addressing voter concerns directly was one of the best chances the Conservatives had of staying in power in 2023. At the start of that year, Rishi Sunak attempted to do this by setting out his five pledges for the next twelve months; halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce national debt, cut NHS waiting times, and stop small boats. A year later, Sunak had at best only partial success in these aims. Although the inflation rate fell, economic growth was weak and even declined in the last two quarters of 2023, although it did return to growth in early 2024. National debt was only expected to fall in the mid to late 2020s, while the trend of increasing NHS waiting times did not reverse. Small boat crossings were down from 2022, but still higher than in 2021 or 2020. .

Annual estimates of balanced UK regional gross domestic product (GDP). Current price estimates and chained volume measures for UK countries, ITL1, ITL2 and ITL3 regions.

Key information about United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term: % of GDP

• United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term accounted for 196.0 % of the country's Nominal GDP in 2023, compared with the ratio of 206.6 % in the previous year.
• UK External Debt: Short Term: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from 1979 to 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 289.2 % in 2008 and a record low of 65.2 % in 1980.

CEIC calculates Short Term External Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Short Term External Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Short Term External Debt is calculated as the sum of Short Term External Debt breakdowns for General Government, Monetary Authorities, MFIs and Other Sectors. Office for National Statistics provides Short Term External Debt in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency. Short Term External Debt prior to 1999 excludes Monetary Authorities.


Related information about United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 13.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad fell by 7.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 2.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK External Debt: Short Term value stood at 7,515.3 USD bn in Dec 2023.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term

• United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term value stood at 7,515.3 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 7,090.4 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• UK External Debt: Short Term data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1979 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 9,201.8 USD bn in Mar 2008 and a record low of 366.9 USD bn in Dec 1979.

CEIC calculates Short Term External Debt as the sum of Short Term External Debt breakdowns for General Government, Monetary Authorities, MFIs and Other Sectors and converts it into USD. Office for National Statistics provides Short Term External Debt in local currency. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions. Short Term External Debt prior to Q2 1999 excludes Monetary Authorities.


Related information about United Kingdom External Debt: Short Term

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 13.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad fell by 7.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 2.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about UK Unemployment Rate

• UK Unemployment Rate dropped to 3.93% in Oct 2023, from the previously reported figure of 3.95% in Sep 2023.
• UK Unemployment Rate is updated monthly, available from Aug 2022 to Oct 2023, with an average rate of 3.93%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 4.33% in Jun 2023 and a record low of 3.75% in Aug 2022.
• The data is reported by reported by Office for National Statistics.
• In the latest reports, UK Population reached 67.03 million people in Dec 2021.

Key information about United Kingdom population

• The United Kingdom population reached 68.3 million people in Dec 2023, compared with the previously reported figure of 67.6 million people in Dec 2022
• The data reached an all-time high of 68.3 million people in Dec 2023 and a record low of 48.9 million people in Dec 1946

CEIC shifts year-end for annual Population. The Office for National Statistics provides annual mid-year Population ending the second quarter of each year.


Further information about United Kingdom population data

• In the latest reports, United Kingdom Unemployment Rate dropped to 3.9 % in Oct 2023
• Monthly earnings of the United Kingdom population was 3,547.0 USD in Jul 2024
• United Kingdom Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 62.8 % in Oct 2023

Turkey was the largest destination for UK plastic waste exports in 2024, having received more than ******* metric tons of shipments. The Netherlands ranked second, with roughly *** thousand tons. The amount of plastic waste exported by the UK to non-OECD countries, such as Malaysia, has fallen significantly as a result of recent changes to the Basel Convention. This has led to ****************** emerging as top destinations for UK plastic waste.

Key information about United Kingdom External Debt: % of GDP

• United Kingdom External Debt accounted for 277.2 % of the country's Nominal GDP in 2023, compared with the ratio of 288.8 % in the previous year.
• UK External Debt: % of Nominal GDP data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1987 to Dec 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 395.1 % in Dec 2008 and a record low of 116.0 % in Dec 1987.

CEIC calculates External Debt as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly External Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. Office for National Statistics provides External Debt in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency.


Related information about United Kingdom External Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 13.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad fell by 7.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 2.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's External Debt reached 10,527,772.5 in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

The average for 2023 based on 193 countries was -0.07 points. The highest value was in Liechtenstein: 1.61 points and the lowest value was in Syria: -2.75 points. The indicator is available from 1996 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

The European Union (EU) has been the key source of anthracite coal to the United Kingdom over the past decade, with imports peaking in 2013 at 109,000 metric tons. The UK's imports of anthracite from the EU amounted to 64,000 metric tons in 2022. Anthracite is the highest ranking of coal. It is often referred to as hard coal and has the highest carbon content and energy density of all types of coal.Coal typesWhilst the EU was the main provider of anthracite to the UK, the region's exports of coking coal paled in comparison to that of Australia, Russia and the United States. Australia was the main exporter of this form of coal to the UK, exporting more than four million metric tons in 2002. However, imports from Australia began to decrease annually from 2012, and by 2018 the country was exporting less than Russia. Russia is the leading exporter of steam coal to the UK, providing 1.12 million metric tons in 2021. Nevertheless, imports from Russia fell considerably since 2013's peak of 19 million metric tons.UK coal consumptionThe consumption of coal for energy use in the United Kingdom has fallen significantly in recent decades. In 1970, consumption stood at 99 million metric tons of oil equivalent, but by 2020 it had fallen to a low of 5.6 million metric tons of oil equivalent.

In 2023, London had a gross domestic product of over 569 billion British pounds, by far the most of any region of the United Kingdom. The region of South East England which surrounds London had the second-highest GDP in this year, at over 360 billion pounds. North West England, which includes the major cities of Manchester and Liverpool, had the third-largest GDP among UK regions, at almost 250 billion pounds. Levelling Up the UK London’s economic dominance of the UK can clearly be seen when compared to the other regions of the country. In terms of GDP per capita, the gap between London and the rest of the country is striking, standing at over 63,600 pounds per person in the UK capital, compared with just over 37,100 pounds in the rest of the country. To address the economic imbalance, successive UK governments have tried to implement "levelling-up policies", which aim to boost investment and productivity in neglected areas of the country. The success of these programs going forward may depend on their scale, as it will likely take high levels of investment to reverse economic neglect regions have faced in the recent past. Overall UK GDP The gross domestic product for the whole of the United Kingdom amounted to 2.56 trillion British pounds in 2024. During this year, GDP grew by 0.9 percent, following a growth rate of 0.4 percent in 2023. Due to the overall population of the UK growing faster than the economy, however, GDP per capita in the UK fell in both 2023 and 2024. Nevertheless, the UK remains one of the world’s biggest economies, with just five countries (the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and India) having larger economies. It is it likely that several other countries will overtake the UK economy in the coming years, with Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, and Mexico all expected to have larger economies than Britain by 2050.

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

• United Kingdom Current Account deficit accounted for 2.5 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Sep 2024, compared with a 3.4 % deficit in the previous quarter.
• UK Current Account Balance: % of Nominal GDP data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1955 to Sep 2024, with an average value of -1.0 %.
• The data reached an all-time high of 4.0 % in Mar 1981 and a record low of -6.9 % in Dec 2014.

CEIC calculates Current Account Balance as % of Nominal GDP from quarterly Current Account Balance and quarterly Nominal GDP. Office for National Statistics provides Current Account Balance in local currency and Nominal GDP in local currency.


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

• In the latest reports of UK, Current Account recorded a deficit of 13.1 USD bn in Mar 2023.
• Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fell by 8.6 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• UK Direct Investment Abroad fell by 7.0 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• Its Foreign Portfolio Investment increased by 2.8 USD bn in Sep 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP was reported at 786.4 USD bn in Mar 2023.

Key information about UK Household Income per Capita

• United Kingdom Annual Household Income per Capita reached 34,805.008 USD in Dec 2023, compared with the previous value of 36,168.598 USD in Dec 2022.
• UK Annual Household Income per Capita data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1996 to Dec 2023, with an averaged value of 38,694.697 USD.
• The data reached an all-time high of 56,270.561 USD in Dec 2007 and a record low of 27,377.030 USD in Dec 1996.
• In the latest reports, Retail Sales of UK dropped 2.090 % YoY in May 2023.

CEIC calculates Annual Household Income per Capita from annual Average Household Income and Average Household Size and converts it into USD. Office for National Statistics provides Household Income in local currency and Average Household Size. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.