placestats

Last European coloniser: A European colonial power · Largest religious group: Christians. These are labels that describe the country, not numbers, so they are never compared with other measures. The numbers behind them, such as population shares, are.

United Kingdom

Against high income countries, United Kingdom ranks 9th of 72 on education and 43rd of 63 on health. Each ranking counts only the countries that report that score, so the totals differ and the two ranks can’t be compared directly. Both compare United Kingdom with countries of similar wealth. That is the only kind of ranking that tells you something a ranking by income does not already show.

How it has changed

Every measure United Kingdom reports, over all the years it has been published. Pick one. Hover or use the arrow keys to read a year. Gaps in a line are years with no data. They are left open, not filled in.

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Scores by area

Each score averages the measures in one area, such as health. Each measure is first put on a common scale and turned so that higher is always better. Zero is the average country in an average year. One point is a typical gap between countries (a standard deviation), so +1 means about one typical gap above average. These are summaries, not measurements. See how the country scores are built and how the topic scores compare with each other.

ScoreValueRank, all countriesRank, similar incomeMostly income?
Governance score 2025+1.2724 of 17924 of 58moderate +0.53
Health score 2024-0.01107 of 19343 of 63moderate +0.32
Education score 2023+1.199 of 1999 of 72proxy +0.81
Wellbeing score 2022+1.0711 of 11011 of 49high +0.80
Equality score 2021+0.5742 of 16524 of 47high +0.64
Infrastructure score 2024+1.6019 of 21018 of 80proxy +0.90
Gender score 2025+1.2328 of 18618 of 58moderate +0.37
Environment score 2024+0.1583 of 21329 of 83moderate -0.33
Labour score 2025+0.6349 of 19545 of 67high +0.79

The last column shows how closely each score just tracks national income. The number is its link with GDP per person (the value of everything a country produces, divided by its people), from −1 to +1. A score marked proxy is mostly a measure of how rich the country is. Its rank among all countries says little that GDP per person does not. That is why the rank among similar-income countries sits beside it.

The measures behind them

Every measure reported for United Kingdom, grouped by area. Some measures have no agreed better direction, such as population growth, inflation and military spending. They are listed here but left out of every score, since there is no fair way to say which way is better. Some names use technical terms: PPP means adjusted for what money buys in each country, HDI is a United Nations score combining life expectancy, schooling and income, and a Gini indexmeasures how unequally income is shared. Each measure’s own page explains it.

crime

Public order spending2.12%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Conflict deaths0per 100,000 people2025higher is worse
Armed conflict present01 if any conflict, else 02025higher is worse
Homicide rate1.12per 100,000 population2021higher is worse

culture

Religious attendance16.1%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Religion very important15.6%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Frequent prayer24.1%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Confidence in religious institutions36.9%% of respondents2022no agreed direction
Divorce rate1.7divorces per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Births outside marriage51.3%% of live births2021no agreed direction
Women's age at first marriage32.1years2019no agreed direction
Marriage rate1.4marriages per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Children with one parent20.8%% of children aged 0-172018no agreed direction
Religiously unaffiliated40.2%% of population2020no agreed direction
Christian share49.4%% of population2020no agreed direction
Muslim share6.37%% of population2020no agreed direction
Single-parent households10.7%% of households2011no agreed direction
One-person households30.6%% of households2011no agreed direction
Women in a union49.7%% of women aged 15-492021no agreed direction
Marriage rate (UN)1.29marriages per 1,000 people2020no agreed direction
Divorce rate (UN)1.33divorces per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction

demography

Median age39.8years2023no agreed direction
Age at childbearing30.9years2023no agreed direction
Population69,487,000people2025no agreed direction
Population growth0.297%% per year2025no agreed direction
Urbanization83.3%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 65+19.7%% of population2025no agreed direction
Population 0-1417%% of population2025no agreed direction
Fertility rate1.55births per woman2024no agreed direction
Birth rate9.89per 1,000 people2024no agreed direction
Net migration389,911people2025no agreed direction
Migrant share of population17.1%% of population2024no agreed direction

economy

Public social spending23%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Family benefits spending1.85%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Old-age spending7.41%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Aid given0.432%% of GNI2025no agreed direction
Government spending per capita$29,093current international dollars2024no agreed direction
Corporate tax rate19%% of profit2018no agreed direction
HDI0.946index, 0 to 12023higher is better
Inequality-adjusted HDI0.869index, 0 to 12023higher is better
GDP per capita (PPP)$53,993international $2025higher is better
GNI per capita (PPP)$52,643international $2024higher is better
GDP per capita (market)$48,422US$2025higher is better
GDP growth1.39%% per year2025no agreed direction
Inflation3.88%% per year2025no agreed direction
Trade openness62.5%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
FDI inflows1.91%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Tax revenue26.9%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Government consumption21.2%% of GDP2025no agreed direction
Government expense41.2%% of GDP2023no agreed direction
Military spending2.28%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Employment in agriculture0.851%% of employment2025no agreed direction

education

PISA maths489PISA points2022higher is better
PISA reading494PISA points2022higher is better
PISA science500PISA points2022higher is better
Primary completion99.9%% of children2025higher is better
Expected schooling17.8years2023higher is better
Mean years of schooling13.5years2023higher is better
Education spending5.91%% of GDP2021no agreed direction
Primary enrollment102%% gross2023higher is better
Secondary enrollment112%% gross2023higher is better
Tertiary enrollment80.4%% gross2023higher is better
Compulsory schooling11years2025no agreed direction
Out of school, primary0.0698%% of primary-age children2023higher is worse
Pupil-teacher ratio15.1pupils per teacher2017higher is worse
Researchers4,473per million people2017higher is better

environment

Recycling rate27.4%% of municipal waste2015higher is better
CO2 per capita4.22t CO2e per capita2024higher is worse
Forest area13.3%% of land area2023higher is better
Agricultural land70.3%% of land area2023no agreed direction
Protected land28.4%% of land area2025higher is better

gender

Gender wage gap16.8%% of men's median earnings2016higher is worse
Gender Inequality Index0.083index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Gender Development Index0.979ratio of women's HDI to men's2023no agreed direction
Women's political empowerment0.838index (0-1)2025higher is better
Women ministers50%% of ministers2024higher is better
Women in parliament40.5%% of seats2025higher is better
Women in management40.5%% of managers2025higher is better
Married by 180%% of women aged 20-242021higher is worse

governance

Corruption Perceptions Index71index (0-100, higher = cleaner)2024higher is better
Political rights (FH)1rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Civil liberties (FH)1rating (1-7, 1 = most free)2025higher is worse
Trust in government34.5%% of respondents2024higher is better
Refugees originating0.603per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Electoral democracy0.772index (0-1)2025higher is better
Liberal democracy0.689index (0-1)2025higher is better
Participatory democracy0.533index (0-1)2025higher is better
Free and fair elections0.924index (0-1)2025higher is better
Regime type2regime category (0-3)2025higher is better
Political corruption0.042index (0-1)2025higher is worse
Freedom of expression0.833index (0-1)2025higher is better
Freedom of association0.859index (0-1)2025higher is better
Political civil liberties0.858index (0-1)2025higher is better
Civil society participation0.889index (0-1)2025higher is better
Birth registration100%% of children under 52022higher is better
Control of corruption1.51index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Rule of law1.27index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Government effectiveness1.18index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Regulatory quality1.51index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Voice and accountability1.3index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better
Political stability0.258index (approx. -2.5 to 2.5)2024higher is better

health

Life expectancy81.4years2024higher is better
Infant mortality4.1per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Under-5 mortality4.7per 1,000 live births2024higher is worse
Health spending11.1%% of GDP2024no agreed direction
Suicide rate9.55per 100,0002021higher is worse
Hospital beds2.42per 1,000 people2022no agreed direction
Basic water access100%% of population2024higher is better
Basic sanitation99.1%% of population2024higher is better
Child stunting3.5%% of children under 52024higher is worse
Adolescent fertility7.82births per 1,000 women aged 15-192024higher is worse
Maternal mortality8per 100,000 live births2023higher is worse
Alcohol consumption10.7litres per adult per year2020no agreed direction
Tobacco use12.8%% of adults2024higher is worse
Road traffic deaths3.2per 100,000 population2019higher is worse
Physicians3.3per 1,000 people2023higher is better
DTP3 immunisation92%% of children aged 12-23 months2024higher is better
HIV prevalence0.2%% of adults aged 15-492023higher is worse
Tuberculosis incidence9.7per 100,000 people2024higher is worse
Premature NCD mortality11%% probability, ages 30-702021higher is worse
Anaemia in women13.6%% of women aged 15-492023higher is worse
Out-of-pocket health spending14.6%% of health spending2024higher is worse
Undernourishment2.5%% of population2023higher is worse
Food insecurity6.9%% of population2023higher is worse
Adult obesity27.4%% of adults2024higher is worse
Health coverage index88index, 0 to 1002023higher is better

inequality

Market-income Gini0.522index, 0 to 12023higher is worse
Redistribution29.7%% reduction in the Gini2023no agreed direction
Gini index32.4index (0-100)2021higher is worse
Extreme poverty rate0.4%% of population2021higher is worse

infrastructure

Internet users95.5%% of population2024higher is better
Mobile subscriptions122per 100 people2024higher is better
Electricity access100%% of population2024higher is better
Slum share of urban population0.163%% of urban population2022higher is worse
Fixed broadband42.2per 100 people2024higher is better

labor

Active labour market spending0.153%% of GDP2019no agreed direction
Unemployment benefit spending0.074%% of GDP2022no agreed direction
Retirement age, men64.7years2018no agreed direction
Retirement age, women63.6years2018no agreed direction
Hours worked1,673hours per year2016no agreed direction
Informal employment6.51%% of employment2018higher is worse
Unemployment4.75%% of labor force2025higher is worse
Female labor participation57.3%% of women 15+2025no agreed direction
Male labor participation65.6%% of men 15+2025no agreed direction
Youth not in work or study14.4%% of 15 to 24 year olds2025higher is worse
Vulnerable employment11.5%% of employment2025higher is worse

wellbeing

Interpersonal trust43.3%% of respondents2022higher is better
Self-reported happiness91.5%% of respondents2022higher is better
Life satisfaction6.69score (0-10)2025higher is better

Values are the most recent in 2010–2025, and different measures can come from different years. The year is shown beside each. Nothing here ranks countries by merit. An area score averages whatever measures its publishers happen to collect, and the choice of what to collect is itself a judgement made by someone else. All countries · How the country data works

Countries to compare with United Kingdom

Also in Europe & Central Asia: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Turkiye, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.

Also high income, in other regions: American Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, The, Bahrain, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Costa Rica, Curacao, French Polynesia, Guam, Guyana, Hong Kong SAR, China, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rep., Kuwait, Macao SAR, China, Malta, Naoero, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Northern Mariana Islands, Oman, Palau, Panama, Puerto Rico (US), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sint Maarten (Dutch part), St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Martin (French part), and more on the full list of countries.