Country profile
United Kingdom
A services-heavy economy outside the EU, exporting machinery, precious metals, vehicles and fuels.
Updated 10 November 2026. Sources at the bottom of the page.
- Capital
- London
- Population
- 69.5 million (2025)
- Currency
- Pound sterling (GBP)
- GDP, 2026
- US$4.27 trillion
- Exports, 2025
- US$555.9 billion
- Exchange rate
- 1 GBP = 1.34 USD (9 Nov 2026)
Economy
IMF World Economic Outlook, October 2026. 2026 and 2027 are IMF projections.
1.3%Real GDP growth, 2026
1.2%Real GDP growth, 2027
3.3%Inflation, 2026
5.3%Unemployment, 2026
102% of GDPGovernment debt, 2026
-3.3% of GDPCurrent account, 2026
Trade
Top export markets
Share of the country’s exports, 2025
- United States (15.6%)
- Germany (7.7%)
- China (6.6%)
- Netherlands (5.9%)
- Ireland (5.5%)
Main exports
Product groups, share of exports
- Machinery, including computers (19.2%)
- Gems and precious metals (19.2%)
- Vehicles (7.4%)
- Mineral fuels, including oil (6.6%)
- Electrical machinery and equipment (5.9%)
Main trade agreements
- EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement
- Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)
- UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
- UK–Australia and UK–New Zealand free trade agreements
- US–UK Economic Prosperity Deal (2025)
Trade policy to watch
- Trade with the EU: no tariffs on goods that meet rules of origin, but customs declarations and checks apply.
- US Section 232 tariffs: under the 2025 US–UK deal, UK steel and aluminium face a lower US tariff rate than most other countries.
- UK CBAM: the UK introduces its own carbon border adjustment mechanism on 1 January 2027.
Energy
Natural gas is the UK's largest energy source, and the UK imports much of its gas. Wind is now a major source of electricity, and the UK closed its last coal power plant in 2024.
What it means for your supply chain
- Goods moving between the UK and EU need origin paperwork to qualify for zero tariffs.
- Precious metals are a large share of UK exports, so the industrial base is smaller than the headline export total suggests.
- Watch the UK CBAM timeline if you import steel, aluminium or other carbon-intensive goods into the UK.
Sources
- IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026: GDP, growth, inflation, unemployment, government debt, current account (2026 and 2027 are projections).
- World Bank: population (2025).
- World’s Top Exports, 2025: export markets and main exports.
- Bank of Canada, daily exchange rates, 9 November 2026 (cross rates calculated from CAD rates).
- Energy Institute, Statistical Review of World Energy 2026: energy profile.
- UK Government, Prepare for the UK CBAM.
Figures are the latest published at the time of the update and may since have been revised. This page is for general information, not investment or legal advice.