UK manufacturing enters world top 10
26 Sep 2016
A report by EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, and banking firm Santander reveals the UK is now the world’s 9th largest industrial nation.
Regionally, London and the South East dominate, producing almost £28 billion output, while the North West produces £23.7 billion, and the West and East Midlands produce £16.4 billion each.
In total, the UK has a manufacturing output worth $247 billion (£188bn), EEF said.
It is great news that the UK has re-entered the top ten manufacturing nations
Charles Garfit, head of manufacturing, Santander
The largest individual manufacturing sector is food & drink, which comprises 17% of the UK’s manufacturing output.
Meanwhile, chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing accounts for 14% of output.
According to EEF, the chemical and pharmaceutical sector is also driving innovation, spending over a third of the total annual manufacturing R&D.
Elsewhere in the data, UK manufacturers have outperformed any country except the United States for job creation since 2010, while since 2013 average earnings have risen by 3%, twice the rate of the economy overall.
Commenting on the statistics, Charles Garfit, head of manufacturing, Santander Corporate & Commercial, said: “It is great news that the UK has re-entered the top ten manufacturing nations.
“It is interesting to see that there has been growth in the non-traditional sectors and regions showing the increasing importance that manufacturing has across the country.”
Overall, China is considered to be the world’s largest manufacturing nation, with the US sitting in second place.
