Headline pharmaceutical industry statistics

The figures below provide a snapshot of key biopharmaceutical sector statistics relating to the UK’s economy and health systems. Sub-national statistics can be found via the ABPI’s interactive Pharma Impact Map. International comparisons are available in several of the source documents and within the Government’s Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators publication. Statistics on the economic and health system benefits which can be delivered through a supportive policy environment are available in the ABPI’s manifesto.

Economic statistics

£20.39bn

direct Gross Value Added (GVA) ^[1]

125,702

jobs ^[4]

£46.7bn

turnover ^[5]

£38.7bn

worth of medicinal and pharmaceutical products were exported around the world in 2025 ^[5]

£9.3bn

investment in UK R&D in 2024 ^[2]

£1 in every £6

invested by the private sector in R&D is invested by the pharmaceutical industry ^[3]

£2bn

allocation of new investment commitments since September 2025 ^[6]

81,300 new jobs by 2035

could be created by accelerating business investment and growth (a 64 per cent increase in headcount, to around 200,000) and raise direct GVA from £20.4 billion to £33.4 billion per year ^[7]

£3.8bn

UK has lost out on approximately of R&D investment since 2020 because it lagged behind global growth trends ^[8]

Clinical research statistics

In 2022, UK clinical trials funded by the pharmaceutical industry: [9]

£7.4bn

of GVA and 65,000 jobs, including £1.9 billion of direct GVA and 21,000 jobs worth of direct employment

£1.2bn

income to the NHS for industry clinical trials initiated in 2022/23 ^[9]

3 million sick days

prevented worth £0.9 million to the UK economy, by contributing to higher-quality routine care provision in research-active hospitals

Manufacturing statistics

Medicines manufacturing sites in the UK:

£20.4bn

of GVA contributed in 2023 ^[10]

48,000

jobs supported in 2022 ^[11]

186

manufacturing sites across the UK in 2021/22 (155 in England, 14 in Wales, 13 in Scotland and 4 in Northern Ireland) ^[12]

References:

Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘New map shows how pharmaceuticals support jobs, health and growth across every UK nation’, July 2026. Data sources and methodology: Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘Pharmaceutical Impact Map: sources and methodology’, May 2026.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘New map shows how pharmaceuticals support jobs, health and growth across every UK nation’, July 2026. Data sources and methodology: Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘Pharmaceutical Impact Map: sources and methodology’, May 2026.
Office for Life Sciences, ‘Bioscience and health technology sector statistics 2021 to 2022’, May 2024.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, International trade, September 2026
Office for National Statistics, ‘Business enterprise research and development, UK: 2024’, November 2025.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘UK pharmaceutical investment competitiveness report 2026’, September 2026.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘UK pharmaceutical investment competitiveness report 2026’, September 2026.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘UK pharmaceutical investment competitiveness report 2026’, September 2026.
Frontier Economics, ‘The value of industry clinical trials to the UK’, September 2024.
Office for Life Sciences, ‘Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators, March 2026.
Office for Life Sciences, ‘Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators, March 2026.
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘New map shows how pharmaceuticals support jobs, health and growth across every UK nation’, July 2026. Data sources and methodology: Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, ‘Pharmaceutical Impact Map: sources and methodology’, May 2026.

Industry data

Improving access to cancer medicines

Access to innovative cancer medicines transforms lives – helping patients live longer, healthier lives, supporting earlier recovery, and easing pressure on the NHS. By improving how these treatments are valued, funded, and adopted across the health system, we can deliver faster access for patients, better outcomes for families, and a stronger, more resilient life sciences sector that drives the UK’s global leadership in cancer innovation.

Interactive Pharmaceutical Impact Map

The Interactive Pharma Impact Map demonstrates the value of the pharmaceutical industry in different regional areas of all the four nations of the UK, down to constituency level.

Industry and academia links survey 2024

An interactive report using anonymised data to analyse trends in collaborations between industry and academic institutions.

Facts, figures and industry data