Country Sheet : United-kingdom

Information file

Last Update on 18th October 2024

UNITED-KINGDOM

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In English - version of 18th October 2024

Geography

Area : 244,820 km²

Borders : 360 km (with Ireland)

Coastline : 12,429 km

Capital : London

Official language : English

Flag

Population

Population : 68 459 055 (est. 2024)

Crude natural change rate : -0,45 (2024)

Population repartition: 16.7% under 15 years old ; 19.3% over 65 years old (est. 2024)

Foreign residents: EU nationals 5.5%, non-EU nationals 3.7% (2019)

Crude net migration rate: 2.9 ‰ (est. 2024)

First time asylum applicants: 78,768 (june 2023)

Life expectancy: men 80 years, women 84.2 years (2023 est.)

Religions: Christian (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 46.2%, Muslim 6.5%, Hindu 1.7%, other 2%, unspecified 6%, atheist 37.2% (2021 est.)

Source : CIA World Factbook, Office for National Statistics

Economy

Currency: Pound Sterling (GBP) (exchange rate July 2024 : 1€ = 0.84 GBP)

GDP: € 2,656,011.7 million (2023)

GDP per capita (PPS): € 51,007 (2024)

GDP growth : 0.1% (2023)

Inflation: 2.2% (August 2024)

Public debt: 91.6% of GDP (June 2024)

Unemployment: 4.3% (Q1 2024)

Stock of foreign direct investment from the entire world: 88% of GDP (2022)

Budget balance: -6% of GDP (Q4 2023)

Source : Office for national statistics, Trading economics, International Monetary Fund

Political system

Constitutional monarchy, democracy

Head of State King Charles III; After the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8th September 2022, he acceded to the throne on 9th September 2022.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was appointed Prime Minister on 5th July 2024, following the Labour Party's victory in the general elections on 4th July 2024.

Bicameral parliamentary system -The House of Lords comprises 785 members appointed for the majority part by the King upon suggestion of the Prime Minister: 669 are appointed for life, 92 inherit their titles, and 26 archbishops and bishops are de facto members. -The House of Commons comprises 650 members elected for a five-year term by direct universal suffrage.

Political representation

Composition of the House of Commons (since 4th July 2024)

406 seats Labour Party
121 seats Conservative Party (Conservatives)
72 seats Liberal Democrats (LibDem)
14 seats Independent
9 seats Scottish National Party (SNP)
7 seats Sinn Féin
5 seats Reform UK
5 seats Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)
4 seats Green Party (E&W)
4 seats Plaid Cymru
2 seats Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)
1 seat Alliance (NI)
1 seat Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)
1 seat Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV)
1 seat Speaker

Relations between European Union and the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is no longer a Member State of the Union since 31 January 2020. Since the United Kingdom's withdrawal, relations between these countries and the European Union have been governed by four main agreements: an agreement on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the Union, a trade and cooperation agreement, a security of information agreement and a nuclear energy cooperation agreement. These agreements guarantee continued cooperation in areas of shared interest and protect citizens. The United Kingdom is not a member of EFTA or the EEA.