Einar H. Dyvik
Research expert covering Nordics and global data for society, economy, and politics
The UK economy - statistics & facts
The UK economy was the sixth-largest in the world in 2024, behind the United States, China, Japan, Germany, and India. At 2.56 trillion British pounds, UK GDP is larger than it has ever been, although the UK's share of global GDP has been declining for several years. Furthermore, since the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK economy has struggled to grow at a consistently strong rate.
Precarious economic outlook for 2025
In early 2025, the UK's economic growth forecast for the year was downgraded from two percent to one percent, with external factors such as increased geopolitical instability, and the threat of a global trade war among the main reasons for this revision. Although the prospects for long-term economic growth were upgraded in the same forecast, the halving of economic growth for 2025 came as a blow to the ruling Labour Party, who have staked their reputation on achieving strong growth. In addition to weaker growth prospects, there is expected to be an uptick in inflation, with consumer prices rising by 3.2 percent in 2025, instead of the initial prediction of 2.6 percent. While this is far less severe than in 2022, when the inflation rate was 9.1 percent, UK households are still reeling from the ongoing cost of living crisis, and may face another tough year due to rising prices. In addition to lower growth and higher inflation, the UK's unemployment rate is set to increase to a rate of 4.5 percent in 2025, up from 4.1 percent in earlier forecasts. Once again, this increase is likely to be temporary and less acute than the fallout from the pandemic, but nonetheless another indicator that is heading in an unfavorable direction for the economy.Structural problems in the UK economy
Though not alone in experiencing recent economic upheavals, some specific problems are more amplified in the UK. Low productivity growth has hampered the economy for several years now, an issue made worse during the chaotic post-Brexit period when business investment effectively flatlined. An over-reliance on London as an economic powerhouse has also caused a high degree of regional inequality, with GDP per capita and productivity far higher in the UK capital than elsewhere in the country. These productivity and growth issues also make it harder for the government to raise enough money to fulfill its spending commitments, without borrowing substantial amounts. As the UK has consistently had to borrow money to finance its expenditure, especially during the pandemic, the UK's national debt has grown considerably, approaching 100 percent of GDP in recent years.
