The UK, a leading trading power and financial centre, is one of the quartet of trillion dollar economies of Western Europe. Over the past two decades the government has greatly reduced public ownership and contained the growth of social welfare programs. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labour force. The UK has large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 10% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. Services, particularly banking, insurance, and business services, account by far for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. GDP growth slipped in 2001-02 as the global downturn, the high value of the pound, and the bursting of the "new economy" bubble hurt manufacturing and exports. Still, the economy is one of the strongest in Europe; inflation, interest rates, and unemployment remain low. The relatively good economic performance has complicated the BLAIR government's efforts to make a case for Britain to join the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). The Prime Minister has pledged to hold a public referendum if membership meets Chancellor of the Exchequer Brown's five economic "tests." Scheduled for assessment by mid-2003, the tests will determine whether joining EMU would have a positive effect on British investment, employment, and growth. Critics point out, however, that the economy is thriving outside of EMU, and they point to public opinion polls that continue to show a majority of Britons opposed to the single currency. Meantime, the government has been speeding up the improvement of education, transport, and health services, at a cost in higher taxes. The war in March-April 2003 between a US-led coalition and Iraq involves a heavy commitment of British military forces, a commitment that will affect economic developments in 2003.

purchasing power parity - $1.52 trillion (2002 est.)

1.6% (2002 est.)

purchasing power parity - $25,300 (2002 est.)

agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 24.9%
services: 73.7% (2000)

17%

lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 27.7% (1995)

36.8 (1995)

2.1% (2002 est.)

29.7 million (2001)

agriculture 1%, industry 25%, services 74% (1999)

5.2% (2002 est.)

revenues: $565 billion
expenditures: $540 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01)

machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods

-3.4% (2002 est.)

360.9 billion kWh (2001)

fossil fuel: 73.8%
hydro: 0.9%
other: 1.6% (2001)
nuclear: 23.7%

346.1 billion kWh (2001)

264 million kWh (2001)

10.66 billion kWh (2001)

2.541 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

1.71 million bbl/day (2001 est.)

2.205 million bbl/day (2001)

1.418 million bbl/day (2001)

4.741 billion bbl (January 2002 est.)

714.9 billion cu m (January 2002 est.)

cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables; cattle, sheep, poultry; fish

$286.3 billion f.o.b. (2002)

manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco

EU 58.1% (Germany 12.5%, France 10.2%, Netherlands 7.7%, Ireland 7.3%), US 15.4% (2001)

$330.1 billion f.o.b. (2002)

manufactured goods, machinery, fuels; foodstuffs

EU 51.7% (Germany 12.7%, France 8.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Benelux 5.1%), US 13.2% (2001)

$NA

ODA, $4.5 billion (2000)

British pound (GBP)

GBP

British pounds per US dollar - 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000), 0.6181 (1999), 0.6038 (1998)

1 April - 31 March