Trade as a share of GDP in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Trade as a share of GDP was 62.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
62.5%
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
130th
of 191 countries
All-time high
69.2%
in 2022
All-time low
41.6%
in 1972
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Trade as a share of GDP in United Kingdom, 1970–2025
Source: National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 62.5% for trade as a share of gdp in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade as a share of gdp in United Kingdom peaked at 69.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 41.6%, in 1972.
United Kingdom ranks 130th of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Trade as a share of GDP in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 43.0% | — |
| 1971 | 42.7% | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 41.6% | -2.5% |
| 1973 | 47.4% | +14.1% |
| 1974 | 58.7% | +23.8% |
| 1975 | 52.8% | -10.2% |
| 1976 | 57.4% | +8.8% |
| 1977 | 58.9% | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 55.0% | -6.7% |
| 1979 | 54.7% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 51.3% | -6.1% |
| 1981 | 49.4% | -3.7% |
| 1982 | 49.6% | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 50.8% | +2.4% |
| 1984 | 55.4% | +9.0% |
| 1985 | 55.0% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 50.5% | -8.0% |
| 1987 | 49.9% | -1.3% |
| 1988 | 47.4% | -5.1% |
| 1989 | 48.7% | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 48.2% | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 45.3% | -6.1% |
| 1992 | 46.3% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 49.7% | +7.4% |
| 1994 | 51.9% | +4.3% |
| 1995 | 50.8% | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 52.1% | +2.4% |
| 1997 | 50.7% | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 49.1% | -3.1% |
| 1999 | 49.5% | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 52.3% | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 52.6% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 51.2% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 50.1% | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 50.3% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 52.5% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 56.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | 52.7% | -7.0% |
| 2008 | 56.4% | +7.0% |
| 2009 | 54.7% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 59.1% | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 63.3% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 62.0% | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 61.7% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 58.8% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 57.1% | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 59.8% | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 63.2% | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 64.9% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 65.0% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 59.2% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 58.5% | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 69.2% | +18.2% |
| 2023 | 65.0% | -6.1% |
| 2024 | 62.8% | -3.3% |
| 2025 | 62.5% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 51.2% | 41.6% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.8% | 47.4% | 55.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 49.4% | 45.3% | 52.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.0% | 50.1% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.5% | 57.1% | 65.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.9% | 58.5% | 69.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More economy & growth data for United Kingdom
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.14 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.42 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.3685 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1364 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7,858 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 0.3684 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 0.0941 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 5,422 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 9.19 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.731 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade as a share of gdp in United Kingdom?
- Trade as a share of gdp in United Kingdom was 62.5% in 2025, according to National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest trade as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 69.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest trade as a share of gdp recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.6% in 1972.
- How does United Kingdom rank for trade as a share of gdp?
- United Kingdom ranks 130th out of 191 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade as a share of gdp rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from National statistical organizations and central banks, OECD national accounts, and World Bank staff estimates (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Trade as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Trade in goods and services as a share of GDP, shown as a percentage.