United Kingdom
GDP was US$4.00 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 1.4% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $53,993 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025).
How is the UK economy doing, and how is it linked to Canada?
UK inflation was 3.5% in September 2026 and unemployment 4.7% in July 2026; central government debt was 130.7% of GDP in 2024
Structure and recent performance
The United Kingdom produced US$4.0 trillion in 2025. Real GDP grew 1.1% in 2024 and 1.4% in 2025; the ONS reports quarterly growth of 0.5% in Q2 2026. CPI inflation was 3.5% in September 2026, from 3.0% in February, and unemployment 4.7% in July 2026. Services are 73.1% of GDP and manufacturing 7.7%, the smallest manufacturing share among the European economies in the sample. Central government debt was 130.7% of GDP and net lending/borrowing -6.9% of GDP in 2024 (the government debt section describes an unexplained break in the debt series between 2021 and 2022), and the current account -3.1% of GDP in 2025.
Strengths and vulnerabilities
On these indicators the UK is a service-dominated economy with high tax revenue (26.9% of GDP) and a high debt ratio and a large external deficit. This report holds no data on the UK's financial sector.
Connections to Canada
The United Kingdom took 6.0% of Canada's merchandise exports in 2025, the second-largest share after the United States among the partners listed, and supplied 1.3% of its imports; one pound cost C$1.8790 on average in October 2026.
"The sample" in this profile means the twelve economies that have a profile here: the United States, China, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Australia. It is not a ranking of all countries, and each comparison uses the latest year available for each country, which can differ.
What the data say about United Kingdom
GDP was US$4.00 trillion in 2025 (current US dollars). Real GDP grew 1.4% in 2025. GDP per capita at purchasing-power parity was $53,993 (constant 2021 international dollars, 2025). Consumer price inflation averaged 3.9% in 2025. The modelled unemployment rate was 4.7% in 2025. Exports plus imports equalled 62% of GDP in 2025. Population was 69.5 million in 2025.
| Indicator | Latest | Year | Freshness | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP (current US$) US$ (current) | 4.003e+12 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.CD |
| GDP, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 3.752e+12 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.KD |
| GDP growth (annual %) % change, annual | 1.39 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG |
| GDP per capita, PPP (constant 2021 international $) international $ (2021 PPP) | 53,993.12 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.KD |
| GDP per capita (current US$) US$ (current) | 57,601.96 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.CD |
| GDP per capita growth (annual %) % change, annual | 1.09 | 2025 | current | WDI NY.GDP.PCAP.KD.ZG |
| Inflation, consumer prices (annual %) % change, annual average | 3.88 | 2025 | current | WDI FP.CPI.TOTL.ZG |
| Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) % of labour force (modelled ILO estimate) | 4.75 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS |
| Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) % of population 15+ (modelled ILO estimate) | 61.37 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.TLF.CACT.ZS |
| Trade (% of GDP) % of GDP | 62.46 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.TRD.GNFS.ZS |
| Exports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 30.6 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.EXP.GNFS.ZS |
| Imports of goods and services (% of GDP) % of GDP | 31.86 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.IMP.GNFS.ZS |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) % of GDP | -3.13 | 2025 | current | WDI BN.CAB.XOKA.GD.ZS |
| Gross capital formation (% of GDP) % of GDP | 19.69 | 2025 | current | WDI NE.GDI.TOTL.ZS |
| Foreign direct investment, net inflows (% of GDP) % of GDP | 0.94 | 2025 | current | WDI BX.KLT.DINV.WD.GD.ZS |
| Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 7.68 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.IND.MANF.ZS |
| Services, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 73.1 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.SRV.TOTL.ZS |
| Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (% of GDP) % of GDP | 0.64 | 2025 | current | WDI NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS |
| Research and development expenditure (% of GDP) % of GDP | 2.68 | 2023 | current | WDI GB.XPD.RSDV.GD.ZS |
| GDP per person employed (constant 2021 PPP $) US$ (constant 2021 PPP) per person employed | 111,234.5 | 2025 | current | WDI SL.GDP.PCAP.EM.KD |
| Population, total persons | 6.949e+7 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.TOTL |
| Population growth (annual %) % change, annual | 0.3 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.GROW |
| Population ages 65 and above (% of total population) % of population | 19.7 | 2025 | current | WDI SP.POP.65UP.TO.ZS |
| Central government debt, total (% of GDP) % of GDP (central government) | 130.74 | 2024 | current | WDI GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS |
| Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) % of GDP (net lending/borrowing) | -6.86 | 2024 | current | WDI GC.NLD.TOTL.GD.ZS |
| Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita) kg of oil equivalent per capita | 2,095.41 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE |
| Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) % of electricity output | 40.2 | 2021 | aging | WDI EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS |
| Energy imports, net (% of energy use) % of energy use (net imports) | 47.56 | 2024 | current | WDI EG.IMP.CONS.ZS |
| Net migration persons (5-year net, UN estimate) | 389,911 | 2025 | current | WDI SM.POP.NETM |
| School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) % gross enrolment | 80.41 | 2023 | current | WDI SE.TER.ENRR |
United Kingdom against Canada and the world
Annual series, 1990 onward.
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Recorded links between United Kingdom and Canada
From the relationship graph, with each link’s evidence class.
- United Kingdom accounted for 6.0% of Canada's merchandise exports (customs basis, calendar 2025). documented exposure details
- United Kingdom accounted for 1.26% of Canada's merchandise imports (customs basis, calendar 2025). documented exposure details
- Correlation of 12-month change in the Brent crude price (US dollars) and the UK CPI annual rate: lag 0 months: r = 0.088 (n = 429); lag 3 months: r = 0.195 (n = 426); lag 6 months: r = 0.29 (n = 423); lag 12 months: r = 0.343 (n = 417). All four pre-specified lags are shown. This is an observed association, not a causal estimate. observed correlation details