Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
The United Kingdom at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
52%
of electricity
Food imported
10%
of merchandise imports · ~US$93,032m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About the United Kingdom.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see the United Kingdom, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingFood
Over half of adult calories come from ultra processed food
Ultra processed food made up 54% of total energy intake in the UK adult diet, according to an analysis of national diet survey data from 2008 to 2019.
SoberingHealth
Almost two in three English adults are overweight
In the year to November 2022, 63.8% of adults in England were overweight or living with obesity, up by 0.5% from the previous year.
Source: GOV.UK Ethnicity facts and figures, Overweight adults · 2022
SoberingNature
One of the most nature depleted countries on Earth
Species studied across the UK have declined by 19% on average since 1970, and nearly one in six species is threatened with extinction from Great Britain. The State of Nature partnership describes the UK as one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth.
Source: State of Nature Partnership, State of Nature 2023 · 2023
RemarkableEnvironment
First G7 country to quit coal power
In September 2024 the UK became the first G7 economy to phase out coal power, a year ahead of its 2025 target. Coal supplied around a third of its electricity in 2014.
Source: GOV.UK, UK fossil fuel incentives and subsidies inventory · 2024
RemarkableFood
A sugar tax that halved sugar in fizzy drinks
Since the Soft Drinks Industry Levy began, the average sugar content of drinks it covers has fallen by almost 50%, while sales volumes rose 13.5% between 2015 and 2024.
RemarkableNature
185 million years of Earth history on one coast
The cliffs of the Dorset and East Devon Coast, the Jurassic Coast, expose an almost continuous rock sequence spanning the Mesozoic Era, some 185 million years. It was listed by UNESCO in 2001 and IUCN rates its conservation outlook as good.
Source: IUCN World Heritage Outlook, Dorset and East Devon Coast · 2025
The History of the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom keeps living seasonal customs. Wassailers bless orchards on Twelfth Night, Peak District villages dress their wells from May to September, Padstow's two hobby horses dance through the town on May Day and Lerwick burns a galley at Up Helly Aa.
Where the name comes from
The Greek explorer Pytheas called the Iron Age people of Britain the Pretanoi, a name linked with the Latin Britanni, and the historian Diodorus called the island Pretannia, the island of the Pretani. The archaeologist Barry Cunliffe reads Pretani as a Celtic word that probably means 'the painted ones', according to the University of Warwick.
The land itself: rugged hills and low mountains through the north and west, level to rolling plains across the east and south east. Its high point is Ben Nevis, 1,345 m. Source: national mapping and survey records.
Where it starts
Nearly a million years
Footprints on the beach at Happisburgh in Norfolk, dated to between 850,000 and 950,000 years ago, are the earliest evidence yet of humans in Britain. At Star Carr in North Yorkshire, a Stone Age lakeside settlement dating to at least 8500 BC holds Britain's earliest surviving house, a platform of split and hewn timbers and antler headdresses. The stone village of Skara Brae on Orkney had fitted stone dressers and box beds in houses linked by covered passageways, and village life there seems to have ended around 2500 BC. Stonehenge was built in stages, from a ditch and bank of about 3000 BC to the stones raised about 2500 BC.
How it got here
Empire, and its cost
Britain was part of the Roman Empire for more than three and a half centuries after AD 43. A Viking attack on Lindisfarne in 793 sent a shockwave through Europe, and William of Normandy defeated King Harold at Hastings in 1066. Magna Carta, given at Runnymede in 1215, set out that royal power was to be regulated by established rules. Britain was the most dominant slave-trading nation between 1640 and 1807, transporting an estimated 3.1 million Africans, of whom about 2.7 million arrived. It abolished the trade in 1807 and passed the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833. Women gained the vote on equal terms with men in 1928.
The timeline
c. 900,000 years ago
Happisburgh.
Footprints on the beach at Happisburgh in Norfolk, dated to between 850,000 and 950,000 years ago, are the earliest evidence yet of humans in Britain. Source
By 8500 BC
Star Carr.
A Stone Age lakeside settlement in North Yorkshire, with Britain's earliest known house, a wooden platform of split and hewn timbers, and antler headdresses. Source
Until c. 2500 BC
Skara Brae.
A Neolithic stone village on Orkney, its houses fitted with stone dressers and box beds and linked by covered passageways, where village life seems to have ended around 2500 BC. Source
c. 3000 to 1500 BC
Stonehenge.
Built in stages on Salisbury Plain, beginning with a ditch and bank about 3000 BC, with the stone circle raised about 2500 BC. Source
AD 43 to early 5th century
Roman Britain.
The Roman invasion under the emperor Claudius in AD 43 begins more than three and a half centuries of rule from Rome, which ends in the early fifth century. Source
793
The Viking raid.
A Viking attack on the church of St Cuthbert at Lindisfarne in 793 sends a shockwave through Europe. Source
1215
Magna Carta.
Magna Carta is given in the meadow at Runnymede on 15 June 1215, a charter under which royal power was to be regulated by an established set of rules. Source
1640 to 1833
The slave trade.
Britain is the most dominant nation in the transatlantic slave trade between 1640 and 1807, transporting an estimated 3.1 million Africans. Parliament abolishes the trade in 1807 and passes the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833. Source
1928
Equal franchise.
The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928 makes the parliamentary vote the same for women as for men. Source
British Museum, First pioneers in northern Europe · Historic England · National Museums Scotland · Natural History Museum, The oldest human footprints in Europe · English Heritage, Stonehenge history · Historic Environment Scotland, Skara Brae history · The National Archives, Magna Carta 1214 to 1225 · The National Archives, British transatlantic slave trade records · English Heritage, History of 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield · English Heritage, Roman Britain · English Heritage, The Viking raid on Lindisfarne · University of Manchester, Stone Age remains are Britain's earliest house · legislation.gov.uk, Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act 1928
Nature and Biodiversity in the United Kingdom.
On paper the UK protects about 28.4% of its land and 47% of its seas (World Bank, 2025), which looks strong. In practice protection is weak: more than half of Sites of Special Scientific Interest are in unfavourable condition and many marine protected areas still permit bottom trawling, so several are effectively paper parks.
Is wild United Kingdom protected? 28.4% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in United Kingdom?
Forest cover13.3%
Terrestrial protected area28.4%
Marine protected area46.8%
165 listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters), United Kingdom · World Bank, Threatened species indicators (IUCN), United Kingdom
Found only here. Few full endemics; the Scottish primrose and the Scottish crossbill, Britain's only endemic bird
The watchlist
ThreatenedOryctolagus cuniculus Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedGough Finch (Rowettia goughensis) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedLepidochelys kempii Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedGaleorhinus galeus Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedGwynne's Mining Bee (Andrena bicolor) Not evaluated on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (insect).
ThreatenedGiant Herb-Robert (Geranium maderense) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedAnguilla anguilla Not evaluated on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (species).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Gough Finch (Rowettia goughensis)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United Kingdom. GBIF holds 4 verified occurrence records.
Lepidochelys kempii
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United Kingdom. GBIF holds 1 verified occurrence records.
Galeorhinus galeus
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United Kingdom. GBIF holds 4 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for United Kingdom filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in England, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in England, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Marine protected area in Scotland, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Marine protected area in Scotland, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Marine protected area in Scotland, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Marine protected area in Scotland, mapped and named in the open record for United Kingdom. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in the United Kingdom.
The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere. The main weakness is the drier south east, which is officially water stressed and prone to hosepipe bans, alongside high leakage from ageing pipes.
Does the United Kingdom have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
99.8% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: Upland Wales, the Lake District and the Scottish lochs
How much fresh water does the United Kingdom have, per person?
2,144 m³
United Kingdom
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
United Kingdom withdraws about 8,419 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 14.4% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as low water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 14%, homes and towns 74%, industry 12%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on United Kingdom beaches?
✓Tap water: Drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: Carrier bag charge plus bans on microbeads and single use straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✓Marine protection: 46.8% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge is met.
Named on the open map: Abbot's Cliff Beach, Avon Beach, Blackpool Sands, Branscombe Beach, Denge Beach, Fossil Beach, Giggen Cove, Hele Beach. That is 14 named beaches in the public record for United Kingdom, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
97.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
97.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
How is the sea around United Kingdom doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Mild and changeable all year; summer is genuinely lovely, winter is short and damp.
Nearshore
Protected water
46.8% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Upland Wales, the Lake District and the Scottish lochs.
The record
Measured
The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere.
The United Kingdom scored 76 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, above the global average of 72, and ranked 50th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
46.8%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
128
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in United Kingdom?
99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 2,144 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 1 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 14.3% of what the United Kingdom renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit United Kingdom? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does United Kingdom actually have?
Nature renews about 2,144 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks the United Kingdom 83 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the drier half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in the United Kingdom.
The UK produced about 58% of the food it consumed in 2023, by farmgate value, and imported the remaining 42% (DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023). Home production matched 93% of supply for cereals, 105% for milk and 114% for lamb and mutton, but only 16% for fresh fruit and 53% for fresh vegetables.
Where does the food in United Kingdom come from?
9.8% imported
about US$93,032m a year
On the plate: Potatoes, oats, wheat, brassicas, apples
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$93,032m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 9.8% of everything the United Kingdom imports (2025, World Bank). Farming itself is 0.6% of the economy and 70.3% of the land is agricultural, of which 25% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in the United Kingdom? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined79.7%
Diabetes7.4%
Diabetes UK says that every week diabetes leads to 184 amputations in the UK, which is close to 9,600 a year. Source: Diabetes UK.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 61.4%.
Can the United Kingdom feed itself?
25.0%
Arable land
69.2%
Agricultural land
301,423
Farmers
14,934,264
Arable acres
0.6%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Late summer to autumn; cereals August to September, apples September to October
Feeding itself
The UK produced about 58% of the food it consumed in 2023, importing the remaining 42% (DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023). It is a capable farming nation for cereals, dairy, lamb and root crops, but leans on imports for fruit, much fresh produce and out of season goods.
Certification
Organic farmland is about 2.7% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), supported by well established Soil Association certification and a sizeable organic retail market. The share is modest and has grown only slowly.
Water for crops
The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 70.3% of the country is agricultural land and 25% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
WheatSugar beetsBarleyPotatoesRapeseedOats
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in United Kingdom are wheat, sugar beet, barley and potatoes (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Apple Market, Bermondsey Farmers' Market, Blackheath Farmers' Market, Broadgate Farmers' Market, Buxton Market, Cheadle Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Checked kitchens from the directory: Vantra Vegan to Vantra Vegan is a 100% plant based restaurant in London, United Kingdom. See its verified sustainability ratin. Every kitchen listed here is checked for how plant-based the menu really is before it earns its place.
Is this grown in the United Kingdom?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
PotatoesOatsWheatBrassicasApples
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Diabetes UK, How many people in the UK have diabetes? (statistics) · DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023, Chapter 14 The food chain · FAO, Food-based dietary guidelines, United Kingdom (Eatwell Guide)
Climate and Energy in the United Kingdom.
Renewables generated a record 50.4% of United Kingdom electricity in 2024, led by wind at about 29%, and the country closed its last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September 2024, ending 142 years of coal power. Territorial CO2 emissions have fallen to about 4.53 tonnes per person (2024), near the world average. The United Kingdom has a legally binding target of net zero by 2050 under the Climate Change Act, supported by interim carbon budgets. Even so, gas still supplies a large share of power and heat, which keeps the score in the moderate band rather than high.
What powers the United Kingdom?
Renewable 52%Fossil 35.6%
The grid in Great Britain is balanced and planned by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), which the government bought from National Grid for an enterprise value of £630 million and launched in public ownership on 1 October 2024. NESO is a not for profit public corporation owned by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, licensed by the regulator Ofgem, and plans both the electricity and gas networks. Ofgem sets what the transmission network companies can earn and spend through price controls. The current one, RIIO-T3, runs from 2026 to 2031.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
4.22 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
12.28 tonnes
The grid
Renewables generated a record 50.4% of United Kingdom electricity in 2024, led by wind at about 29%, and the country closed its last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September 2024, ending 142 years of coal power. Territorial CO2 emissions have fallen to about 4.53 tonnes per person (2024), near the world average.
Pollution
Air is comparatively clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 9.5 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), and the UK has a carrier bag charge, a microbead ban and bans on single use plastic straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery. Litter and fly tipping remain persistent problems, which keeps this short of the top band.
Water stress
The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.59.8%
2Industry Legacy road traffic air pollution in city centres.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.9.5
4On the record Air is comparatively clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 9.5 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), and the UK has a carrier bag charge, a microbead ban and bans on single use plastic straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery.
What has the United Kingdom promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today40.2% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target28.4% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target46.8% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in law; in policy document. Measured against it, 40.2% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 59.8% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year4.22 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy3.06 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy1.96 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.63 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy1.58 t CO2e
New York return, economy1 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to the United Kingdom emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. The UK sold its first green gilt on 21 September 2021, raising £10 billion from a 12 year bond maturing in 2033. The government said it was the largest first green bond from any sovereign issuer, drew the largest order book ever for a sovereign green deal, and made the UK the first comparable sovereign to commit to reporting social benefits such as jobs. NS&I launched what it called the world's first standalone retail Green Savings Bonds alongside it. Three green gilts are now in issue, maturing in 2033, 2037 and 2053, and the Debt Management Office published its latest allocation and impact report in October 2026.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · UK Government, New publicly owned National Energy System Operator to pave the way to a clean energy future (Sept 2024) · Institute for Government, National Energy System Operator explainer · Ofgem, NESO · Ofgem, Network price controls 2021 to 2028 (RIIO-2) · UK Government, UK's first green gilt raises £10 billion for green projects (Sept 2021) · UK Debt Management Office, Green gilts
AI and Data Centres in the United Kingdom.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in the United Kingdom.
Data centres
248
Operational facilities, Cloudscene, July 2026.
Grid renewable
52.0 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in the United Kingdom?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 52%Fossil 48%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 40.2% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. United Kingdom has 248 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in London (45), Slough (20), Manchester (17), alongside 29 internet exchanges (LINX LON1, LONAP, LINX LON2, IXLeeds). Named sites include Telehouse, London (Docklands North), Digital Realty London LHR17, Telehouse, London (Docklands East), Digital Realty London LHR20.
Where the cables land. 125 landing points · Aberdeen, Achnaba, Aikerness Bay, Aldeburgh
Economy and Tourism in the United Kingdom.
63% residents to 37% visitors across a year. 40,857,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 69,487,000 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in United Kingdom
11,101k
Visitors a year
0.2
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is the United Kingdom?· for every $100 the United Kingdom earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 104What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 103The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $103 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 the United Kingdom earns in a year, it owes $104 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). That is more than a full year of national income, and the interest is paid before anything else.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in the United Kingdom?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 40,857,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 69,487,000 residents, 0.6 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in the United Kingdom is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 9.8% of everything the United Kingdom imports (2025, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, rapeseed, oats, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
40.2% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power stay inside the United Kingdom. This is not an economy where a visitor's money drains away, and the board is shorter for it.
most of it6
Pay the bank first
The United Kingdom owes $104 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$104 per $1007
A spread hand
The largest single export, machinery and mechanical appliances, is 16.6% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 16.6%8
Community chest
Tourism earns 8.2% of everything the United Kingdom makes from exports (1998, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
8.2% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 3.06 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.06 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$4,265 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$4,265bnGDPUS$4,002.6bn
Agriculture, share of GDP0.6%
Visitors a year11,101,000
Visitors per resident0.2
Residents~69,487,000
Agriculture
Farming is 0.6% of the economy. The UK produced about 58% of the food it consumed in 2023, importing the remaining 42% (DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023).
Natural materials
The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production.
Energy
Renewables generated a record 50.4% of United Kingdom electricity in 2024, led by wind at about 29%, and the country closed its last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September 2024, ending 142 years of coal power. Territorial CO2 emissions have fallen to about 4.53 tonnes per person (2024), near the world average.
Who owns the biggest hotels in the United Kingdom?
By rooms · company records and press.
South Downs Eco Lodge · ~14 roomsIndependentnot published
The 25 Boutique B&B · ~6 roomsIndependentnot published
Cornish Gems Dune Hideaway · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Cornish Gems Killifreth Stamps · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Cornish Gems Boslagen · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Cornish Gems Alta · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Elmley Nature Reserve · ~12 roomsIndependentnot published
Adagio Stratford London · ~136 roomsCorporatenot published
Cambrian Cottages · ~5 roomsIndependentnot published
Cuffern Manor Guest House · ~11 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
201536,792k
201639,129k
201741,080k
201840,283k
201940,857k
202011,101k
ONS survey estimates published by VisitBritain show 40.8 million inbound visits to the UK in 2025, with visitors spending £29.8 billion and staying 278.2 million nights. VisitBritain says visits were about 3 per cent above 2019 and 2 per cent up on 2024, and that spending was 19 per cent above 2019 in cash terms but not once inflation is taken into account. The 2025 figures are still classed as official statistics in development. In August 2026 VisitBritain, using its own modelled estimates, forecast 44.2 million visits and £33.9 billion of spending in 2026, growth of 2 per cent on 2025.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting the United Kingdom, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, rapeseed and oats, over an imported menu. The checked list
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use An extensive rail network, coaches and car hire; cities are walkable with public transport
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
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First time here
A wealthy island nation with safe water, clean air and living wool traditions, yet ranked among the most nature depleted countries on Earth.
Best time: Late spring to early autumn
Getting around
An extensive rail network, coaches and car hire; cities are walkable with public transport
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is wheat, sugar beets, barley, potatoes, rapeseed and oats. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards everywhere; GBP. Queue politely; drive on the left.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the big hotels
South Downs Eco LodgeIndependent · 14 rooms
The 25 Boutique B&BIndependent · 6 rooms
Cornish Gems Dune HideawayIndependent · 1 rooms
Cornish Gems Killifreth StampsIndependent · 1 rooms
Cornish Gems BoslagenIndependent · 1 rooms
Cornish Gems AltaIndependent · 1 rooms
None of the 10 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in the United Kingdom.
How well is the United Kingdom actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, the United Kingdom scores 77 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
What is daily life in United Kingdom really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around An extensive rail network, coaches and car hire; cities are walkable with public transport
Made in the United Kingdom.
The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What United Kingdom actually sells the world
The single biggest thing United Kingdom sells the world is machinery and mechanical appliances, 16.6% of all exports in 2023 (about US$86.57 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are pearls, gemstones and precious metals at 15.5%, vehicles at 9.7%, mineral fuels and oils at 8.2%, electrical machinery and electronics at 5.5%.
Sells now · 16.6% of exports
Machinery and mechanical appliances
Machinery and mechanical appliances is 16.6% of everything United Kingdom sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$86.57 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 15.5% of exports
Pearls, gemstones and precious metals
Pearls, gemstones and precious metals is 15.5% of everything United Kingdom sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$80.79 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 9.7% of exports
Vehicles
Vehicles is 9.7% of everything United Kingdom sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$50.32 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 8.2% of exports
Mineral fuels and oils
Mineral fuels and oils is 8.2% of everything United Kingdom sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$42.67 billion. UN Comtrade.
Sells now · 5.5% of exports
Electrical machinery and electronics
Electrical machinery and electronics is 5.5% of everything United Kingdom sold abroad in 2023, worth about US$28.47 billion. UN Comtrade.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in United Kingdom and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Oats
Grown in United Kingdom and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Wheat
Grown in United Kingdom and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. the United Kingdom produces about US$4,003 billion a year, which is roughly US$57,602 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 0.6% of that, while food is 9.8% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 25% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in the United Kingdom.
Twelfth Night
Wassailing
Revellers process through apple and pear orchards on Twelfth Night, singing and making a din to bless the trees for a good crop, and the word comes from the Old English for good health.
May to September
Well dressing
From May to September, more than 80 communities in the Peak District press petals and other natural materials into clay boards to make pictures placed beside wells, a custom often linked to Tissington in Derbyshire.
1 May
Padstow's Obby Oss
On May Day two hobby horses, one red and one blue, are released and prance through the Cornish town of Padstow with musicians, singers, drummers and dancers.
Last Tuesday in January
Up Helly Aa
Lerwick in Shetland holds a day of marches and visitations, ending in a torchlit procession and the burning of a galley. The Guizer Jarl and their squad begin preparing for it the February before.
Does United Kingdom protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. The United Kingdom keeps notable folk traditions, though society is largely secular and modernised. Morris dancing, Highland dancing, ceilidh, maypole and rapper sword dancing survive, alongside folk song, sea shanties, bagpipes, brass bands and Welsh male voice choirs. Living calendar customs include wassailing, well dressing, Padstow's Obby Oss and Shetland's Norse-rooted Up Helly Aa fire festival, and the Welsh National Eisteddfod sustains a bardic Gorsedd tradition.
Who it belongs to. The UK has deep living heritage and some community ownership, including Scottish community land buyouts such as the Isle of Eigg and continuing crofting. Tourism, though, is overwhelmingly commercial rather than community run, and there is no indigenous community tourism economy of the kind this index rewards.
Only here. Harris Tweed, the only cloth protected by its own Act of Parliament, hand woven in the Outer Hebrides.
The Future of the United Kingdom.
Three futures for the United Kingdom, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Pip Wine Shop (Guildford), Sheffield Botanical Gardens (Sheffield), Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden (Manchester), Birmingham Botanical Gardens (Birmingham), Botanical Gardens (Bath). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Art Official, Barnet Gallery, Bay Wool & Crafts, Bead Solutions, Betws-y-Coed Pottery, Build Brighton.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 11.8% to 13.5% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 2.06% to 40.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 9.45 t to 4.22 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 23,537k to 11,101k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 28% to 28.4% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 2.29% to 0.85% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 5.7% to 46.8% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 71.8% to 69.2% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 78.7% to 83.3% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 19.8 µg/m³ to 9.46 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 2,499 m³ to 2,144 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 51.3% to 61.4% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 23,253 to 57,602 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 58,019k to 69,487k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 1.1% to 12.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 3,730 kg to 2,095 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 11.3% to 42.1% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 76.8 yrs to 81.4 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 6,873 kg/ha to 6,558 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 369 kg/ha to 194 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 21.3% to 16.7% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 160 $/m3 to 389 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 7.15% to 11.1% across 24 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 28,660 km2 to 32,780 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 5,576 kWh to 4,208 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 66.02 to 50.09 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 97.33 to 71.39 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 248.9 to 78.78 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 570.91 to 300.24 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 56.73 to 17.96 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 77.19 to 28.91 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United Kingdom's record. Organic farmland is about 2.7% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), supported by well established Soil Association certification and a sizeable organic retail market. The share is modest and has grown only slowly.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift wildlife
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United Kingdom's record. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with heavily modified landscapes, low endemism and long term wildlife declines documented in the State of Nature 2023 report.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift natural fibres
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of United Kingdom's record. The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in the United Kingdom.
Who is in charge of United Kingdom now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Andy Burnham
Prime Minister
Andy Burnham is the head of government of United Kingdom, in office since 20 July 2026. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 81.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Unchanged from 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 78.9 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 77.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 70.7 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 72.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 79.5 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 79.6 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 80.6 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 81.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Andy BurnhamPrime Minister
UK ParliamentLegislature, bicameral
Last election4 July 2024
Constitutionuncodified; statutes, common law and convention
Government typeparliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
United Kingdom national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About the United Kingdom.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is United Kingdom sustainable?
United Kingdom scores 70 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. A wealthy island nation with safe water, clean air and living wool traditions, yet ranked among the most nature depleted countries on Earth.
Is the water in United Kingdom safe and plentiful?
The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere. The main weakness is the drier south east, which is officially water stressed and prone to hosepipe bans, alongside high leakage from ageing pipes.
Can United Kingdom feed itself?
The UK produced about 58% of the food it consumed in 2023, importing the remaining 42% (DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023). It is a capable farming nation for cereals, dairy, lamb and root crops, but leans on imports for fruit, much fresh produce and out of season goods.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in United Kingdom?
Plant based eating is mainstream in the UK, which is where Veganuary began, and vegan and vegetarian options are standard in supermarkets, cafes and restaurants. The limitation is that much of this is processed meat substitute food rather than a whole food culture, and the traditional diet remains meat heavy.
How much of United Kingdom is actually protected?
On paper the UK protects about 28.4% of its land and 47% of its seas (World Bank, 2025), which looks strong. In practice protection is weak: more than half of Sites of Special Scientific Interest are in unfavourable condition and many marine protected areas still permit bottom trawling, so several are effectively paper parks.
What wildlife is left in United Kingdom?
The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with heavily modified landscapes, low endemism and long term wildlife declines documented in the State of Nature 2023 report. The bright spot is rewilding: beaver reintroductions, the Knepp estate and white tailed eagle recovery are slowly rebuilding native wildlife.
Is United Kingdom on clean energy?
Renewables generated a record 50.4% of United Kingdom electricity in 2024, led by wind at about 29%, and the country closed its last coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar in September 2024, ending 142 years of coal power. Territorial CO2 emissions have fallen to about 4.53 tonnes per person (2024), near the world average. The United Kingdom has a legally binding target of net zero by 2050 under the Climate Change Act, supported by interim carbon budgets.
How polluted is United Kingdom?
Air is comparatively clean, with a PM2.5 annual mean around 9.5 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2023), and the UK has a carrier bag charge, a microbead ban and bans on single use plastic straws, stirrers, plates and cutlery. Litter and fly tipping remain persistent problems, which keeps this short of the top band.
Does recycling work in United Kingdom?
The UK recycles roughly 44% of household waste (DEFRA, UK statistics on waste), placing it in a solid mid to upper band. Rates have plateaued in recent years and vary widely between local authorities.
Is the farming in United Kingdom organic?
Organic farmland is about 2.7% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), supported by well established Soil Association certification and a sizeable organic retail market. The share is modest and has grown only slowly.
Are there natural materials and craft in United Kingdom?
The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production.
Is there living culture in United Kingdom?
The UK has deep living heritage and some community ownership, including Scottish community land buyouts such as the Isle of Eigg and continuing crofting. Tourism, though, is overwhelmingly commercial rather than community run, and there is no indigenous community tourism economy of the kind this index rewards.
What heritage does United Kingdom keep alive?
The United Kingdom keeps notable folk traditions, though society is largely secular and modernised. Morris dancing, Highland dancing, ceilidh, maypole and rapper sword dancing survive, alongside folk song, sea shanties, bagpipes, brass bands and Welsh male voice choirs. Living calendar customs include wassailing, well dressing, Padstow's Obby Oss and Shetland's Norse-rooted Up Helly Aa fire festival, and the Welsh National Eisteddfod sustains a bardic Gorsedd tradition.
So is the United Kingdom actually green? The measured answer
What is working: land protected at 28.4%, sea protected at 46.8%.
What is not: renewable electricity at 40.2% against a 100% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook, United Kingdom (archived October 2025) · World Bank, Population, total, United Kingdom · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area), United Kingdom
How the United Kingdom Ranks, region and world.
Where United Kingdom sits on the Eco Index, against its Europe neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does United Kingdom compare in Europe?
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Portugal75
Scored Europe destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
United Kingdom sits 17 of 77 at 70/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is United Kingdom particularly good at?
✓ Water, scored 5/5. The UK relies on its own rainfall, upland reservoirs, rivers and aquifers, and 99.8% of people have safely managed drinking water (World Bank and JMP, 2024). Tap water is safe everywhere. The main weakness is the drier south east, which is officially water stressed and prone to hosepipe bans, alongside high leakage from ageing pipes.
✓ Conservation, scored 5/5. On paper the UK protects about 28.4% of its land and 47% of its seas (World Bank, 2025), which looks strong. In practice protection is weak: more than half of Sites of Special Scientific Interest are in unfavourable condition and many marine protected areas still permit bottom trawling, so several are effectively paper parks.
✓ Food and farming, scored 4/5. The UK produced about 58% of the food it consumed in 2023, importing the remaining 42% (DEFRA, Agriculture in the United Kingdom 2023). It is a capable farming nation for cereals, dairy, lamb and root crops, but leans on imports for fruit, much fresh produce and out of season goods.
Where does United Kingdom score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 2/5. Organic farmland is about 2.7% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), supported by well established Soil Association certification and a sizeable organic retail market. The share is modest and has grown only slowly.
✕ Wildlife, scored 2/5. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with heavily modified landscapes, low endemism and long term wildlife declines documented in the State of Nature 2023 report. The bright spot is rewilding: beaver reintroductions, the Knepp estate and white tailed eagle recovery are slowly rebuilding native wildlife.
✕ Natural fibres, scored 3/5. The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 2/5
Organic farmland is about 2.7% of agricultural land (FiBL, 2020), supported by well established Soil Association certification and a sizeable organic retail market. The share is modest and has grown only slowly.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of United Kingdom's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Wildlife, 2/5
The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, with heavily modified landscapes, low endemism and long term wildlife declines documented in the State of Nature 2023 report.
Natural fibres, 3/5
The UK has genuinely living natural fibre traditions. Harris Tweed is hand woven from pure new wool in the Outer Hebrides and protected by its own Act of Parliament, and British wool, Fair Isle knitting and Irish linen all remain in production.
The United Kingdom Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in United Kingdom, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores United Kingdom
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
13.5
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
28.4
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
46.8
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
40.2
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
4.2 t (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
165
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
78.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
77.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
79.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
70.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
81.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
71.5 / 100 · 3 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 3 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
64.7 / 100 · 3 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 3 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
67.3 / 100 · 11 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 11 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
77.5 / 100 · 19 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 19 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
87.8 / 100 · 33 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 33 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
82.3 / 100 · 4 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 4 of 111 countries assessed.
How the United Kingdom Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 81 sources across 30 institutions
GBIF occurrence search17 FIGURES
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, class Mammalia (taxonKey 359), Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, class Mammalia (taxonKey 359) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, class Mammalia (taxonKey 359) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, class Mammalia (taxonKey 359) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves (taxonKey 212), Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves (taxonKey 212) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Testudines (taxonKey 11418114), Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (turtle). check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Testudines (taxonKey 11418114) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii (taxonKey 121), Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (shark or r check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii (taxonKey 121) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii (taxonKey 121) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii (taxonKey 121) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae (taxonKey 6), Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, kingdom Plantae (taxonKey 6) corroboration check
- country GB, IUCN category Critically Endangered, all taxa, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, all taxa, Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in United Kingdom in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
- country GB, IUCN category Endangered, all taxa corroboration check
World Bank16 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- PM2.5 mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic metre) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
Harris Tweed Act 1993 (1993 c. xi)4 FIGURES
- section 7, Definition of Harris Tweed, The National Archives, legislation.gov.uk, Harris Tweed, the only cloth protected by its own Act of Parliament, hand woven in the Outer Hebrides check
- section 7, Definition of Harris Tweed, The National Archives, legislation.gov.uk corroboration check
- section 7, Definition of Harris Tweed, The National Archives, legislation.gov.uk corroboration check
- section 7, Definition of Harris Tweed, The National Archives, legislation.gov.uk corroboration check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, United Kingdom, Public spending on education runs at 5.9% of GDP and 11.8% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, United Kingdom corroboration check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, United Kingdom corroboration check
- public data API, indicator XGDP.FSGOV, Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, United Kingdom corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, United Kingdom, 2025 (86.8%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, United Kingdom, 2025 (85.4%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, United Kingdom, 2025 (91.0%), country-reported check
DEFRA3 FIGURES
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, United Kingdom, 2025 (13.6%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, United Kingdom, 2025 (60.7%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, United Kingdom, 2025 (9.2%), country-reported check
Other published sources3 FIGURES
- Not Evaluated (NE); Andrena bicolor has never been assessed globally, though 168 other Andrena species have check
- Not Evaluated (NE); Gemmabryum dichotomum is absent from the IUCN Red List checklist published 28 July 2026 check
- Dominant between 1640 and 1807; The National Archives estimates 3.1 million transported and 2.7 million arriving. The single-century superlative is not supported by any source I could open, and British dominance ended with abolition in 1807, not in 1866 check
UN Comtrade Database3 FIGURES
- UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division, annual HS exports, reporter United Kingdom (826), 2023, The largest single export, machinery and mechanical appliances, is 16.6% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). check
- UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division, annual HS exports, reporter United Kingdom (826), 2023 corroboration check
- UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division, annual HS exports, reporter United Kingdom (826), 2023 corroboration check
FAOSTAT2 FIGURES
- Crops and livestock products (QCL), FAO, area United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (229), element Production, year 2024, By tonnage, the largest crops grown in United Kingdom are wheat, sugar beet, barley and potatoes (FAO, FAOSTAT check
- Crops and livestock products (QCL), FAO, area United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (229), element Production, year 2024 corroboration check
Gallois2 FIGURES
- R.W. (2007), 'The formation of the hot springs at Bath Spa, UK', Geological Magazine 144(4), Cambridge University Press, The thermal springs at Bath, the only natural hot springs in Britain check
- R.W. (2007), 'The formation of the hot springs at Bath Spa, UK', Geological Magazine 144(4), Cambridge University Press corroboration check
IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria2 FIGURES
- Version 3.1, Second edition, IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN Library System, Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in United Kingdom check
- Version 3.1, Second edition, IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN Library System corroboration check
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
Climate Action Tracker1 FIGURE
- United Kingdom check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Eurostat1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, electronic waste recycled (%) EN_EWT_RCYR, United Kingdom, 2018 (86.2%), country-reported check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
Galloway is an International Dark Sky Park1 FIGURE
- gold tier, designated 2009, per Forestry and Land Scotland check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, United Kingdom, 2023 (15.2%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- United Kingdom elections and chambers check
Office for National Statistics1 FIGURE
- national statistical authority for United Kingdom check
Our World in Data1 FIGURE
- CO2 emissions per capita (Global Carbon Project), 2024 check
RenewableUK / DESNZ1 FIGURE
- renewables generated over half of UK electricity in 2024 check
State of Nature 20231 FIGURE
- UK biodiversity check
State of Nature Partnership1 FIGURE
- State of Nature 2023 check
UK Government1 FIGURE
- Prime Minister check
UK Parliament1 FIGURE
- Harris Tweed Act 1993 check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UN Statistics Division1 FIGURE
- UNdata country profile United Kingdom, threatened species (number), archived copy of 14 November 2025 check
World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP1 FIGURE
- People using safely managed drinking water services (%) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check