United States and United Kingdom
Nuclear defence, intelligence, financial services and businesses connect the two countries. Their military cooperation has its own instruments, while trade access is negotiated product by product. The 2025 economic agreement changed conditions for specific sectors without becoming a comprehensive free trade treaty.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07Nuclear cooperation has its own institutions
The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement facilitates exchanges of scientific information, materials and components related to nuclear defence.
Services and investment, as well as goods
USTR estimates services trade of 208,400 million dollars in 2025, exceeding the goods total in its profile.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 162,178.2 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: United States to United Kingdom | 97,393.8 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Goods: United Kingdom to United States | 64,784.4 M USD | 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau |
| Services trade | 208,400 M USDUSTR est. | 2025 · USTR |
| Export share: United States to United Kingdom | ||
| Export share: United Kingdom to United States | ||
| Investment stock: United States in United Kingdom | 1,114,698 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
| Investment stock: United Kingdom in United States | 738,328 M USDBEA est. | 2025 · BEA |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United States to United Kingdom
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: United Kingdom to United States
- 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · Goods for January–December 2025, millions of USD, U.S. reporter. Excludes services, affiliate sales and the addition of mirror reports.
- Services trade
- 2025 · USTR · Bilateral services total estimated and published by USTR. The total is retained, not the sum of rounded components.
- Investment stock: United States in United Kingdom
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
- Investment stock: United Kingdom in United States
- 2025 · BEA · Direct investment position at historical cost; immediate counterpart. Not portfolio investment or announced commitments.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 30.77 trillion USD2025 · WB | 4 trillion USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP per capita | 90,026.52 USD2025 · WB | 57,601.96 USD2025 · World Bank |
| GDP growth | 2.16 %2025 · WB | 1.39 %2025 · World Bank |
| Policy interest rate | 3.75–4 %2026-09-16 · Fed | |
| Inflation · annual average | 2.7 %IMF est.Annual average · 2025 · IMF | 3.88 %Annual average · 2025 · World Bank |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 3.4 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · BLS | 3.1 %Year-on-year · 2026-08 · ONS |
| Unemployment | 4.2 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 4.75 %ILO est.2025 · World Bank |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -6.8 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -5.4 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 123.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 102.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | -3.63 %2025 · WB | -2.43 %2025 · World Bank |
| Population | 341,784,8572025 · WB | 69,487,0002025 · World Bank |
| Area | 9,831,510 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 243,610 km²2023 · World Bank |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDUnited States: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personUnited States: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)United States: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)United States: 2026-09-16 · Federal funds target range · Federal Reserve
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)United States: 2025 · Average annual change in headline CPI (%) · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est. · WEO estimate; not the year-on-year change for December or August 2026. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07United Kingdom: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedUnited States: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Published: 2026-09-11 · Headline year-on-year CPI-U, not seasonally adjusted; not monthly or core inflation.United Kingdom: 2026-08 · Headline CPI; change relative to the same month of the previous year · ONS · Headline CPI, not CPIH or core inflation.
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionUnited States: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.United Kingdom: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, percentage of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.United Kingdom: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)United States: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.United Kingdom: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO general-government estimate. Retains the source’s fiscal year when it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPUnited States: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Population
- PeopleUnited States: 2025 · World BankUnited Kingdom: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceUnited States: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOUnited Kingdom: 2023 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; observation period, not download date.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
United States to United Kingdom
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
United Kingdom to United States
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
How trade has changed
Billions of current USD · full calendar years
View chart figures
| Period | Total | United States to United Kingdom | United Kingdom to United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 117,931 | 61,667.1 | 56,263.9 |
| 2022 | 140,728.7 | 76,805 | 63,923.7 |
| 2023 | 139,211.4 | 75,045.8 | 64,165.6 |
| 2024 | 147,726 | 79,507.6 | 68,218.4 |
| 2025 | 162,178.2 | 97,393.8 | 64,784.4 |
Connections between people
Universities, travel and business services sustain connections that do not depend solely on government meetings. [1]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from United States living in United Kingdom | ||
| Residents from United Kingdom living in United States | ||
| Study and training: United States in United Kingdom | ||
| Study and training: United Kingdom in United StatesStudy and OPT training in the United States | 11,136 | 2024/25 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United States in United KingdomU.S. study-abroad stays carrying academic credit | 36,450 | 2023/24 · Open Doors |
| Academic stays: United Kingdom in United States | ||
| Travel: United States to United Kingdom | ||
| Travel: United Kingdom to United StatesResidence in the United Kingdom; international arrivals | 4,058,124arrivals | 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
- Study and training: United Kingdom in United States
- Open Doors: place of origin, enrolment and OPT training. Not visas issued or a count of residents. 2024/25 · Open Doors
- Academic stays: United States in United Kingdom
- Open Doors: mobility carrying academic credit reported by U.S. institutions. A different academic year from the count of foreign students. 2023/24 · Open Doors
- Travel: United Kingdom to United States
- International arrivals in the United States by country of residence; not unique visitors, nationality or emigration. Coverage and revisions of the NTTO series. 2025 · NTTO / U.S. Department of Commerce
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
Nuclear cooperation has its own institutions
The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement facilitates exchanges of scientific information, materials and components related to nuclear defence. The 2026 UK report describes the indefinite extension agreed in 2024 and places it alongside the Polaris agreement. This is infrastructure for long-term technical cooperation. It does not make Britain’s nuclear forces a branch of the U.S. government or remove national decisions about their use. [3]
Services and investment, as well as goods
USTR estimates services trade of 208,400 million dollars in 2025, exceeding the goods total in its profile. Finance, professional services and the activities of businesses established in the other market require looking beyond customs data. The accompanying BEA investment positions measure accumulated direct investment at historical cost; the Census series separately show goods that crossed the border. [1]
A sector-specific economic agreement
The Economic Prosperity Deal announced in May 2025 opened negotiations and specific measures, not liberalisation of all products. The June update explains the quota of 100,000 British vehicles subject to a 10% U.S. tariff, compared with the previous treatment described in the document. The quota, requirements and date are part of the measure: that rate should not be applied to any vehicle or goods of any origin. [2]
Universities and civilian connections
Services also include activities involving travel and institutional contacts. The tables add the Open Doors count of British students in the United States and U.S. study-abroad stays in the United Kingdom, with their respective academic years. NTTO travel is counted by residence and allows repeat visits. These three indicators describe different connections; none is a census of the entire British or U.S. community. [1]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Implementation remains a specific issue
The June 2025 update details measures for the automotive sector and other industrial branches. Understanding their effects requires examining the covered product, timetable and access conditions, not just the announcement of a deal. This profile retains the document’s date and does not present it as verification of every tariff in force in October 2026. The nuclear cooperation described in the 2026 report has a different framework and timetable. [2] [3]
What recorded goods show
In 2025, recorded goods trade was 162,178.2 million USD. Shipments from the United States to the United Kingdom were 97,393.8 million USD, and those in the opposite direction were 64,784.4 million USD. A single reporter is used for both directions. The difference describes the goods balance in that source, not the overall economic balance: services, affiliate activity and investment have separate measures. [4]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, currency, definition and source. Blank cells are not zero. Policy documents are distinguished from statistical results, and projects under way from announcements.
- Trade relations and agreements
USTR · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Economic Prosperity Deal: implementation update
UK Government · Institutional source · Document: 2025-06-20 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Defence Nuclear Enterprise: 2026 report
UK Ministry of Defence · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- TOTAL rows 2021–2025; goods; US reporter; million USD
U.S. Census Bureau · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07