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Pharmaceutical industry in the United Kingdom (UK) - Statistics & Facts

The pharmaceutical industry is an important player within the United Kingdom. In 2021, the annual turnover of pharmaceutical goods wholesalers in the UK was over 57 billion British pounds. The United Kingdom's pharmaceutical market is among the global top 10 national markets, holding some 2.3 percent of the global pharmaceutical sector.

Two flagship companies

Cambridge-based AstraZeneca and London-based GlaxoSmithKline are the two flagships of the British drug manufacturing industry. For several years, GlaxoSmithKline was the leading pharmaceutical company in the UK based on market capitalization. However, AstraZeneca received a significant boost on the market, not least because of developing its COVID-19 vaccine in cooperation with a team at Oxford University. As of October 2023, AstraZeneca was reported to have a market capitalization of nearly 170 billion British pounds.

An important contributor

In 2021, there were almost 700 businesses in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products and preparations in the UK. Innovation is a huge part and requirement of the pharmaceutical industry, and as such research and development as a share of sales in pharmaceutical manufacturing mostly stays at more than one third. The industry is also a large contributor to the economy, providing employment for around 65 thousand people in the biopharmaceutical core sector alone.

Consumer spending and OTC

In 2021, consumers in the United Kingdom spent around eight billion British pounds on pharmaceutical products. In the OTC (over-the-counter) segment for pain relief remedies, there was a nine percent increase in sales value in 2022 compared to the previous year. The most valuable categories in the OTC market usually are pain relief, vitamins and minerals, and cough/cold remedies.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Feb 14, 2024

Key insights

Wholesale turnover of pharma goods in the UK 2021
57.4bn GBP
Consumer price index of pharma products in the UK 2022 (2015 = 100)
114
Net capital expenditare in IK pharma product manufacturing in 2021
817m GBP
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Market share of leading 10 national pharmaceutical markets worldwide in 2022

Industry & Market

Market share of the leading global pharmaceutical markets 2022

Leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the United Kingdom (UK) as of 2023, based on market capitalization (in billion GBP)

Industry & Market

Leading UK pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies ranked by market value 2023

Approximate gross value added (aGVA) of pharmaceutical products and preparations manufacturing in the UK from 2008 to 2021 (in million GBP)

Industry & Market

Pharmaceutical manufacturing gross value added (aGVA) in UK 2008-2021

Related topics

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International positioning

5

International positioning

National overview

6

National overview

Company landscape

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Company landscape

Financial impact

5

Financial impact

OTC (over-the-counter)

5

OTC (over-the-counter)

Direct and indirect employment

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Direct and indirect employment

Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Pharmaceutical market worldwide
Pharmaceutical market worldwide
Hospitals in the United Kingdom
Hospitals in the United Kingdom
National Health Service (NHS) in the UK
National Health Service (NHS) in the UK
Pharmaceutical trends in Europe
Pharmaceutical trends in Europe
Pharmacy landscape in the UK
Pharmacy landscape in the UK

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