UK Facts & Figures

UK Facts & Figures

Statistical data for the United Kingdom

Find statistical data for the United Kingdom including geography, area, society and people, economy, sport and communications.

The Office For National Statistics has a variety of information on British life and culture including the environment, education, crime, diversity and health, language and migration.

What's the highest mountain in Britain? What's the busiest station? Who has scored the most goals for England? Find out here.

United Kingdom facts, figures and statistics
UK Facts & Figures

Facts & Figures for the United Kingdom

UK Statistics

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Alcohol consumption: average 9.7 litres of pure alcohol per year per adult*

Area: 243,610 km²

Relative area size: 80th largest in world

Army: 80,040 personnel

B

Beer Consumption: 47.77 million hectoliters (2018)

Busiest Airport: Heathrow (London); 80,124,537 passengers 2018

Busiest Station: Waterloo (London); 86.9 million passengers 2019/20

The Shard, Tower Bridge, River Thames, London, UK
London is the UK's largest city with a population approaching 9 million making it the largest city in western Europe and the second largest in Europe after Moscow

C

Capital: London (pop. 8,308,369; 2012 estimate; 8,982,000; 2019 estimate)

Largest City: London

Principal Cities & Populations: Glasgow, 598,830
Birmingham, 1,074,000
Manchester, 512,000
Edinburgh, 495,360
Belfast, 286,000
Liverpool, 465,700
Newcastle, 546,788

Currency: Pound Sterling GBP £

D

Driving: On the left

Drugs: Illegal drugs classified as Class A, Class B and Class C

E

Electricity: 230 V; 50 Hz

Ethnic Groups: White (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%,
Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%,
Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6% (2001 census)

Export Partners: Germany 11.5%, US 10.6%, Netherlands 8.9%,
France 7.4% (2012); US 14.3%, Germany 10.2%, Ireland 6.8%, Netherlands 6.2%, France 5.9% (2020)

F

Flag: Union Jack

G

GDP per capita: $37,500 (2012 estimate); $44,300 (2017 estimate), $49,463 (2023 estimate)

Ben Nevis, The Scottish Highlands, Scotland, UK.
Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain, The Scottish Highlands, Scotland

H

Highest Individual Score in the County Cricket Championship: Brian Lara 501 not out, 1994

Highest Team Score in the County Cricket Championship: 887, Yorkshire v. Warwickshire 1896

Lowest Team Score in the County Cricket Championship: 12, Northamptonshire v. Gloucestershire, 1907

Highest Mountain: Ben Nevis, Scotland, 1,343 meters

Highest Salary: Denise Coates of Bet365 earned a salary of £421m in 2020-2021

I

Import Partners: Germany 12.5%, China 8.1%, Netherlands 7.3%,
US 6.8% (2012); Germany 13%, China 10%, US 8%, Netherlands 7% (2019)

Internet Users: 51.444 million (2009); 62 million monthly users in 2020

International Dialling Code: +44

Internet Country Code: .uk

J

Judges: 2,769 court judges in 2020

Britain's Monarchs.
Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022

K

Kings & Queens: 62 (in England & Britain)

Age at Accession: 73, Charles III

Length of Marriage: 73 years, Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Number of Children: 29, Henry I

Number of Marriages: 6, Henry VIII

Tallest & Shortest Monarchs: 1.94 meters Edward IV; 1.52 meters QueenVictoria

Longest Place Name in the UK.
Longest Place Name in the UK

L

Largest Lake by Area: Lough Neagh (N. Ireland)

Largest Lake by Volume: Loch Ness (Scotland)

Labour Force: 32.07 million (2012 estimate)

Life Expectancy: 78 men; 82 women

Longest Bridge: Bromford Viaduct at 5,600 metres

Longest Canal: Grand Union at 137 miles from London to Birmingham

Longest Place Name: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwiiiiantysiligogogoch

Longest Reigning Monarch: Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1953 and died in 2022

Longest River: River Severn, England & Wales, 354 km

Longest Road: A1 at 410 miles (660 km)

M

Mobile Phones: 76,920,618 (2019)

Most FA Cups Won: Arsenal (14)

Most Football League Titles Won: Manchester United (20)

Most Goals For England's Men: 58 and counting Harry Kane; 53 Wayne Rooney

Most Goals in the Premier League: 260 by Alan Shrearer

Most Olympic Gold Medals: Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny, 6 (cycling)

Motorways: 2,173 miles (3,497 km)

Murders (Homicides): 695 (2020); 696 (2022)

Hope Valley, Peak District National Park, Derbyshire
Britain has 15 National Parks with the first, The Peak District, established in 1951

N

National Anthem: God Save The Queen

National Parks: 15

O

Oldest Castle: Windsor Castle

Oldest Door: Westminster Abbey

Oldest Golf Course: St Andrews Links, Scotland

Oldest Surviving Football Club: Sheffield FC

Oldest University: Oxford (1096)

P

Pets - Dogs & Cats: 9 million dogs; 8 million cats (2018 estimate)** 12 million dogs (2021 estimate)***

Pig Population: 4 million (2020)

Population Density: 256 people per km²

Prisons: 117 prisons in England and Wales

Prison Population: 83,618 (0.088% of the population) in 2018; 79,749 men and 3,869 women

Q

Queens of England: 8

R

Railways: 16,454 km

Roads: 394,428 km

Relative Population Size: 3rd largest in Europe; 22nd in world

S

Sheep: 15 million in 2020

Shortest Scheduled Passenger Flight: Westray to Papa Westray, Orkney Islands (2.7 km)

T

Total Population: 63,395,574 (July 2013 estimate; 66.65 million 2019 estimate)

TV Channels: (Terrestrial & Public Service Broadcasters) BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5

U

Unemployment: 7.7% (2013); 3.17% (2019 estimate); 4% (2023) - equates to 1.37 million people.

Universities: 130

Urbanization: 83.7%

V

Vehicles: 34.5 million; 28.7 million cars (2012)

Video System: PAL

Visitors From Overseas: 31,084,000 (2012); 40.9 million (2019)

W

Waterways: 3,200 km - 620 km used commercially (2009)

Wine Consumption: 20 litres per person on average (2017)

X

Y

Youngest Prime Minister: William Pitt the Younger (24)

Z

Z-Cars: 801 episodes

William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger

Sources

*Alcohol Change UK

**RSPCA

***Pet Food Manufacturers' Association

United Kingdom facts, figures and statistics
UK Facts & Figures

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Britain Glossary

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