United Kingdom Population: 65,105,246
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| History | |
| The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. At its zenith in the 19th century, the British Empire stretched over one-fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw the UK's strength seriously depleted in two world wars and the Irish Republic's withdrawal 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, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998. The UK has been an active member of the EU since 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 on 23 June 2016 narrowly voted to leave the EU. The UK and the EU are currently negotiating the terms of the UK's withdrawal and a framework for their future relationship ahead of the UK's scheduled departure from the bloc on 31 October 2019. |
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| Geography | |
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| 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 |
| Area: | total: 243,610 sq km land: 241,930 sq km water: 1,680 sq km note 1: the percentage area breakdown of the four UK countries is: England 53%, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6% note 2: includes Rockall and the Shetland Islands, which are part of Scotland Size comparison: twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 490 km border countries (1): Ireland 490 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 |
| 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: 71% (2011 est.) arable land: 25.1% (2011 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.) permanent pasture: 45.7% (2011 est.) forest: 11.9% (2011 est.) other: 17.1% (2011 est.) |
| Irrigated land: | 950 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards: | winter windstorms; floods |
| Current Environment Issues: | air pollution improved but remains a concern, particularly in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats brought on by pressures from housing, tourism, and industry |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
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| 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, 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.) note: the following are recognized regional languages: Scots (about 30% of the population of Scotland) |
| 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.) |
| Population: | 65,105,246 United Kingdom (July 2018 est.) constituent countries by percentage of total population: England 84% Scotland 8% Wales 5% Northern Ireland 3% |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 17.59% (male 5,871,268 /female 5,582,107) 15-24 years: 11.71% (male 3,895,850 /female 3,726,311) 25-54 years: 40.29% (male 13,387,119 /female 12,843,549) 55-64 years: 12.22% (male 3,936,466 /female 4,022,245) 65 years and over: 18.19% (male 5,321,392 /female 6,518,939) (2018 est.) |
| Dependency ratios: | total dependency ratio: 55.5 (2015 est.) youth dependency ratio: 27.4 (2015 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 28.2 (2015 est.) potential support ratio: 3.5 (2015 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 40.5 years male: 39.3 years female: 41.7 years (2018 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.51% (2018 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 12 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 2.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) |
| Urbanization: | urban population: 83.4% of total population (2018) rate of urbanization: 0.89% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.) |
| Major urban areas - population: | 9.046 million LONDON (capital) 2.69 million Manchester 2.57 million Birmingham 1.864 million West Yorkshire 1.661 million Glasgow 912,000 Southampton/Portsmouth (2018) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2018 est.) Mother's mean age at first birth: 28.5 years (2014 est.) note: data represent England and Wales only |
| Maternal mortality rate: | 9 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 4.2 deaths/1,000 live births male: 4.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 80.9 years male: 78.7 years female: 83.2 years (2018 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.88 children born/woman (2018 est.) |
| Physicians density: | 2.81 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital bed density: | 2.8 beds/1,000 population (2013) |
| Drinking water source: | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2015 est.) |
| Sanitation facility access: | improved: urban: 99.1% of population (2015 est.) rural: 99.6% of population (2015 est.) total: 99.2% of population (2015 est.) unimproved: urban: 0.9% of population (2015 est.) rural: 0.4% of population (2015 est.) total: 0.8% of population (2015 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | n/a |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | n/a |
| Obesity - adult prevalence rate: | 27.8% (2016) |
| Education expenditures: | 5.5% of GDP (2016) |
| Literacy: | |
| School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): | total: 19 years male: 18 years female: 20 years (2016) Unemployment, youth ages 15-24: total: 12.1% male: 13.5% female: 10.6% (2017 est.) |
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| Government | |
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| 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: self-descriptive country name; the designation "Great Britain," in the sense of "Larger Britain," dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from "Little Britain," or Brittany in modern France; the name Ireland derives from the Gaelic "Eriu," the matron goddess of Ireland (goddess of the 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 note: applies to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories |
| Administrative divisions: | England: 27 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 56 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*); two-tier counties: Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, Dorset, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, 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, Blackburn with Darwen, Bedford, Blackpool, Bournemouth, Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Darlington, Derby, 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 Somerset, Northumberland*, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth, Poole, 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, 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 |
| Independence: | no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms united); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union formally 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 remain part of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland); 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 |
| Constitution: | history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice amendments: 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); note - additions include the Human Rights Act of 1998, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, and the House of Lords (Expulsion and Suspension) Act 2015 (2016) |
| Legal system: | common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998 |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the queen, born 14 November 1948) head of government: Prime Minister Boris JOHNSON (Conservative) (since 24 July 2019); note - Prime Minister Theresa MAY announced her resignation to be effective after the election of a new Conservative Party leader in July cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister; election last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022) note: in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 15 additional Commonwealth countries (these 16 states are each referred to as a Commonwealth realm) |
| Legislative branch: | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: House of Lords (membership not fixed; as of May 2018, 780 lords were eligible to participate in the work of the House of Lords - 664 life peers, 90 hereditary peers, and 26 clergy; members are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the prime minister and non-party political members recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission); note - House of Lords total does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence House of Commons (650 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority popular vote to serve 5-year terms unless the House is dissolved earlier) elections: House of Lords - no elections; note - in 1999, as provided by the House of Lords Act, elections were held in the House of Lords to determine the 92 hereditary peers who would remain; elections held only as vacancies in the hereditary peerage arise) House of Commons - last held on 8 June 2017 (next to be held by 5 May 2022) election results: House of Lords - composition - men 583, women 208, percent of women 26.3% House of Commons - percent of vote by party - Conservative 48.8%, Labor 40.3%, SNP 5.4%, Lib Dems 1.8%, DUP 1.5%, Sinn Fein 1.1%, Plaid Cymru 0.6%,other 0.6%; seats by party - Conservative 317, Labor 262, SNP 35, Lib Dems 12, DUP 10, Sinn Fein 7, Plaid Cymru 4, other 3; composition - men 442, women 208, percent of women 32%; total Parliament percent of women 28.9% |
| Judicial branch: | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices, including the court president and deputy president); note - the Supreme Court was established by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and implemented in October 2009, replacing the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords as the highest court in the United Kingdom judge selection and term of office: judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, followed by their recommendations 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 and leaders: | Alliance Party (Northern Ireland) [Naomi LONG] Brexit Party [Nigel FARAGE] Conservative and Unionist Party [Boris JOHNSON] Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland) [Arlene FOSTER] Green Party of England and Wales or Greens [Sian BERRY and Jonathan BARTLEY] Labor (Labour) Party [Jeremy CORBYN] Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) [Jo SWINSON] Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru) [Adam PRICE] Scottish National Party or SNP [Nicola STURGEON] Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland) [Mary Lou MCDONALD] Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland) [Colum EASTWOOD] Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland) [Robin SWANN] UK Independence Party or UKIP [Piers WAUCHOPE, interim leader] |
| 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, MINUSMA, 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, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
| National symbol(s): | lion (Britain in general); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland); national colors: red, white, blue (Britain in general); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales) |
| National anthem: | name: God Save the Queen lyrics/music: unknown note: in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem of the UK; 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 of many Commonwealth nations |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Michael TATHAM (since 10 July 2019); note - Ambassador Sir Nigel Kim DARROCH (since 28 January 2016) resigned on 10 July 2019) chancery: 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 588-6500 FAX: [1] (202) 588-7870 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco consulate(s): Orlando (FL), San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert Wood (Woody) JOHNSON IV (since 29 August 2017) embassy: 33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US United Kingdom mailing address: PSC 801, Box 40, FPO AE 09498-4040 telephone: [44] 20-7499-9000 FAX: [44] 20-7891-3151 consulate(s) general: Belfast, Edinburgh |
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| Economy | |
The UK, a leading trading power and financial center, is the third largest economy in Europe after Germany and France. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with less than 2% of the labor force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil resources, but its oil and natural gas reserves are declining; the UK has been a net importer of energy since 2005. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, are key drivers of British GDP growth. Manufacturing, meanwhile, has declined in importance but still accounts for about 10% of economic output. In 2008, the global financial crisis hit the economy particularly hard, due to the importance of its financial sector. Falling home prices, high consumer debt, and the global economic slowdown compounded the UK’s economic problems, pushing the economy into recession in the latter half of 2008 and prompting the then BROWN (Labour) government to implement a number of measures to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial markets. Facing burgeoning public deficits and debt levels, in 2010 the then CAMERON-led coalition government (between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats) initiated an austerity program, which has continued under the Conservative government. However, the deficit still remains one of the highest in the G7, standing at 3.6% of GDP as of 2017, and the UK has pledged to lower its corporation tax from 20% to 17% by 2020. The UK had a debt burden of 90.4% GDP at the end of 2017. The UK economy has begun to slow since the referendum vote to leave the EU in June 2016. A sustained depreciation of the British pound has increased consumer and producer prices, weighing on consumer spending without spurring a meaningful increase in exports. The UK has an extensive trade relationship with other EU members through its single market membership, and economic observers have warned the exit will jeopardize its position as the central location for European financial services. Prime Minister MAY is seeking a new "deep and special" trade relationship with the EU following the UK’s exit. However, economists doubt that the UK will be able to preserve the benefits of EU membership without the obligations. The UK is expected to officially leave the EU by the end of March 2019. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | $2.925 trillion (2017 est.) $2.877 trillion (2016 est.) $2.827 trillion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | $2.628 trillion (2017 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 1.7% (2017 est.) 1.8% (2016 est.) 2.3% (2015 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | $44,300 (2017 est.) $43,800 (2016 est.) $43,400 (2015 est.) note: data are in 2017 dollars |
| Gross national saving: | 13.6% of GDP (2017 est.) 12% of GDP (2016 est.) 12.3% of GDP (2015 est.) GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption: 65.8% (2017 est.) government consumption: 18.3% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 17.2% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0.2% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 30.2% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -31.5% (2017 est.) GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture: 0.7% (2017 est.) industry: 20.2% (2017 est.) services: 79.2% (2017 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish; milk, eggs |
| 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: | 3.4% (2017 est.) |
| Labor force: | 33.5 million (2017 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 1.3% industry: 15.2% services: 83.5% (2014 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 4.4% (2017 est.) 4.9% (2016 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 15% (2013 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 1.7% highest 10%: 31.1% (2012) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 32.4 (2012) 33.4 (2010) |
| Budget: | revenues: 1.028 trillion (2017 est.) expenditures: 1.079 trillion (2017 est.) |
| Taxes and other revenues: | 39.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.) Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-): -1.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
| Public debt: | 87.5% of GDP (2017 est.) 87.9% of GDP (2016 est.) note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions |
| Fiscal year: | 6 April - 5 April |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 2.7% (2017 est.) 0.7% (2016 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$99.21 billion (2017 est.) -$139.3 billion (2016 est.) |
| Exports: | $441.2 billion (2017 est.) $407.3 billion (2016 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco |
| Exports - partners: | US 13.2%, Germany 10.5%, France 7.4%, Netherlands 6.2%, Ireland 5.6%, China 4.8%, Switzerland 4.5% (2017) |
| Imports: | $615.9 billion (2017 est.) $591 billion (2016 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners: | Germany 13.7%, US 9.5%, China 9.3%, Netherlands 8%, France 5.4%, Belgium 5% (2017) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $150.8 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $129.6 billion (31 December 2015 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $8.126 trillion (31 March 2016 est.) $8.642 trillion (31 March 2015 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $2.078 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.858 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $2.11 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $1.611 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $3.019 trillion (31 December 2012 est.) $2.903 trillion (31 December 2011 est.) $3.107 trillion (31 December 2010 est.) |
| Exchange rates: | British pounds (GBP) per US dollar - 0.7836 (2017 est.) 0.738 (2016 est.) 0.738 (2015 est.) 0.607 (2014 est.) 0.6391 (2013 est.) |
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| Energy | |
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| Electricity - production: | 318.2 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 309.2 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 2.153 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 19.7 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity: | 97.06 million kW (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels: | 50% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
| Electricity - from nuclear fuels: | 9% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants: | 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources: | 39% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - production: | 910,500 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - exports: | 710,600 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - imports: | 907,100 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Crude oil - proved reserves: | 2.069 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - production: | 1.29 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption: | 1.584 million bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - exports: | 613,800 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Refined petroleum products - imports: | 907,500 bbl/day (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 42.11 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 79.17 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 11.27 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 47 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 176 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy: | 424 million Mt (2017 est.) |
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| Communications | |
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| Cellular Phones in use: | total subscriptions: 79,173,658 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 121 (2017 est.) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: technologically advanced domestic and international system; one of the largest markets in Europe for revenue and subscribers; will complete the switch to fibre by 2025; mobile penetration above the EU average; govt funding for trial 5G technologies; FttP provided to over million customers; super-fast broadband available to about 95% of customers (2018) domestic: equal mix of buried cables, microwave radio relay, and fiber-optic systems; fixed-line 50 per 100 and mobile-cellular 121 per 100 (2018) international: country code - 44; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic Ocean region), and 1 Eutelsat; at least 8 large international switching centers |
| Broadcast media: | public service broadcaster, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world; BBC operates multiple TV networks with regional and local TV service; a mixed system of public and commercial TV broadcasters along with satellite and cable systems provide access to hundreds of TV stations throughout the world; BBC operates multiple national, regional, and local radio networks with multiple transmission sites; a large number of commercial radio stations, as well as satellite radio services are available (2018) |
| Internet country code: | .uk |
| Internet users: | total: 61,064,454 percent of population: 94.8% (July 2016 est.) |
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| Transportation | |
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| Airports: | 460 (2013) |
| Airports (paved runways): | total 271 (2013) over 3,047 m: 7 (2013) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 29 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 89 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 80 (2013) under 914 m: 66 (2013) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total 189 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 26 (2013) under 914 m: 160 (2013) |
| Heliports: | 9 (2013) |
| Pipelines: | 502 km condensate, 9 km condensate/gas, 28603 km gas, 59 km liquid petroleum gas, 5256 km oil, 175 km oil/gas/water, 4919 km refined products, 255 km water (2013) |
| Railways: | total 16,837 km (2015) standard gauge: 16,534 km 1.435-m gauge (5,357 km electrified) (2015) broad gauge: 303 km 1.600-m gauge (in Northern Ireland) (2015) |
| Roadways: | total 394,428 km (2009) paved: 394,428 km (includes 3,519 km of expressways) (2009) |
| Waterways: | 3,200 km (620 km used for commerce) (2009) |
| Merchant marine: | total 1,570 by type: bulk carrier 129, container ship 109, general cargo 162, oil tanker 177, other 993 (2018) |
| Ports and terminals: | major seaport(s): Dover, Felixstowe, Immingham, Liverpool, London, Southampton, Teesport (England); Forth Ports (Scotland); Milford Haven (Wales) oil terminal(s): Fawley Marine terminal, Liverpool Bay terminal (England); Braefoot Bay terminal, Finnart oil terminal, Hound Point terminal (Scotland) container port(s) (TEUs): Felixstowe (3,849,700), London (2,431,000), Southampton (2,040,000) (2017) LNG terminal(s) (import): Isle of Grain, Milford Haven, Teesside |
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| Military | |
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| Military branches: | Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2013) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 16-33 years of age (officers 17-28) for voluntary military service (with parental consent under 18); no conscription; women serve in military services including ground combat roles; must be citizen of the UK, Commonwealth, or Republic of Ireland; reservists serve a minimum of 3 years, to age 45 or 55; 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service by Nepalese citizens in the Brigade of Gurkhas; 16-34 years of age for voluntary military service by Papua New Guinean citizens (2016) |
| Military expenditures: | 2.2% of GDP (2016) 2.05% of GDP (2015) 2.22% of GDP (2014) 2.25% of GDP (2013) 2.51% of GDP (2012) |
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| Transnational Issues | |
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| Disputes - International: | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement between the UK and Spain; the Government of Gibraltar insisted on equal participation in talks between the two countries; Spain disapproved of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory); in 2001, the former inhabitants of the archipelago, evicted 1967 - 1973, were granted UK citizenship and the right of return, followed by Orders in Council in 2004 that banned rehabitation, a High Court ruling reversed the ban, a Court of Appeal refusal to hear the case, and a Law Lords' decision in 2008 denied the right of return; in addition, the UK created the world's largest marine protection area around the Chagos islands prohibiting the extraction of any natural resources therein; UK rejects sovereignty talks requested by Argentina, which still claims the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) overlaps Argentine claim and partially overlaps Chilean claim; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | refugees (country of origin): 17,231 (Iran), 13,041 (Eritrea), 9,839 (Afghanistan), 9,720 (Syria), 8,959 (Sudan), 7,742 (Pakistan), 6,772 (Zimbabwe), 5,711 (Sri Lanka) (2018) stateless persons: 125 (2018) |
| Illicit drugs: | producer of limited amounts of synthetic drugs and synthetic precursor chemicals; major consumer of Southwest Asian heroin, Latin American cocaine, and synthetic drugs; money-laundering center |
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