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- The Chemical Industry
The Chemical Industry
The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to modern society. With an immense variety of products, from vital medicines and foods, the construction of buildings, to transport and leisure, the industry truly does have an impact on virtually every aspect of our daily lives.
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The Chemical Industries Association reacts to the Chancellor’s 2024 Budget
UK’s chemical industry faces stalling growth against backdrop of rising costs, sluggish demand and Chinese competition
The Chemical Industries Association and Unite the Union call for Government support to overcome barriers to the Net Zero transition
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The Chemical Industry
The chemical and pharmaceutical industry is fundamental to modern society. With an immense variety of products, from vital medicines and foods, the construction of buildings, to transport and leisure, the industry truly does have an impact on virtually every aspect of our daily lives.
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UK Chemical Industry 2024 in numbers
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of total UK busines R&D spend
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Businesses
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Directly employed
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Jobs supported in the economy
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GVA per employee
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Higher GVA than UK average
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Higher GVA than manufacturing
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Annual exports
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Higher salaries than manufacturing
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Higher salaries than UK average
A key building block of the economy
The UK chemical industry should be at the heart of every economic, environmental and social ambition. Our starting point is a strong one – the sector is the country’s largest manufacturing exporter; it has already reduced emissions by 80% over the past 30 years and thousands of highly skilled and well-rewarded jobs are located in parts of the country that really need them.
Fuelling UK Growth
Sustainable innovation for a better world
The chemical sector today consists of more than 4,100 businesses - including large global multinationals, medium sized companies, and small enterprises. Between them they span the whole supply chain, from energy and feedstocks to pharmaceuticals and consumer products.
A substantive and valuable sector
The sector is one of the major contributors to the UK economy, generating £65.5bn industry turnover and £21.8b Gross Value Added (GVA).This is comparable to the contributions of the life sciences, automotive and aerospace sectors.
One of the largest employers in the UK
The sector is responsible for thousands of highly skilled and well-rewarded jobs located in parts of the country where they are essential to the local economy. We directly employ 138,000 people, for every employee around three more jobs are supported in purchased services and supply chains resulting in sustaining nearly 500,000 jobs around the UK.
A major manufacturing exporter
With annual exports of £61bn, and accounting for 15% of exported goods and services, chemistry companies represent the nation's top manufacturing export earners.
Geographical Presence
The chemical industry represents one of the largest and most diverse industry sectors in the UK. Companies in the sector, big and small, play a leading role in all stages of the supply chain. This is done by utilising a myriad of technologies and supplying a diverse range of mission critical minerals and innovative products for industrial and consumer needs.
Chemical businesses are located throughout the UK, with many of them clustered together in the North East of England, North West of England and Central Scotland. These factories and laboratories, operated by a highly trained and skilled workforce, make a significant contribution towards the UK’s productivity performance – double that of any other manufacturing industry and triple that of any part of the UK economy. Explore the UK regions by clicking the map below.
Regional impact
Explore facts and figures about the UK Chemical Industry, by clicking on each region of the map
Region Information
Click on a map region to discover more.
Chemical and pharmaceutical exports (£bn)
Gross Value Added (£bn)*
Employment
*Data includes SIC 19 - Manufacturing of coke and petroleum
Figures correct as of Q1 2024
Source: Office for National Statistics
All regional reports
The industry for industries
The sector is critical and underpins much of UK industry, linking energy and feedstocks to pharmaceuticals and consumer products. The diversity and range across the sector facilitates innovation within the sector as well as within important customer sectors for the UK such as automotive, aerospace and life science. Effective connectivity between sectors will create a critical advantage for the UK.
Key contributions
Strong, lightweight composites that make efficient wind energy and air travel possible
New materials to increase battery performance for electric vehicles
New competitive supply chains will facilitate the delivery of other sector strategies
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CIA and ITN Productions Industry News programmes
Discover a mixture of news items, editorial profiles and studio feature interviews showing the importance of the chemical industry to UK growth.
Chemistry for a better tomorrow
The chemical industry plays a pivotal role in shaping our future for the better, providing essential materials and technologies for a wide range of applications, from healthcare to renewable energy.
Solutions for our future
The chemical industries touch on almost every aspect of our lives. Businesses who make chemical products and solutions are integral to around 96% of all manufactured goods.
Our route to net zero
The chemical industry is committed to delivering more sustainable solutions for a cleaner, greener society. Not only are chemicals essential components to energy-saving products but cutting emissions and transforming chemical production could have a huge impact globally.
