Distillers United Kingdom
A one-page guide to the United Kingdom for the spirits trade: the country, its people, its economy and how it drinks.
At a glance
- Capital
- London
- Official languages
- English (de facto; Welsh co-official in Wales, Scottish Gaelic recognised in Scotland)
- Currency
- Pound sterling (GBP)
- Time zone
- UTC+0 (GMT); UTC+1 (BST) in summer
- Area
- 243,610 km²
People
- Population
- 69.5 million (2025)
- Population growth
- 0.3% a year
- Living in towns and cities
- 83.3%
- Aged under 15
- 17.0%
- Aged 65 and over
- 19.7%
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years
Economy
- GDP
- US$4.00 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$57,602 (2025)
- Economic growth
- 1.39% (2025)
- Inflation
- 3.88% (2025)
Climate
Temperate maritime: mild, wet and changeable, with cool summers and mild winters; rain falls year-round and is heavier in the west and in Scottish uplands. Cool, damp conditions suit slow maturation (Scotch warehouses) but warehouses need damp control.
Alcohol
- Alcohol is
- Legal
- Legal drinking age
- 18 to buy alcohol (16-17 may drink beer, wine or cider with a table meal in a licensed venue in England/Wales/NI; Scotland differs slightly)
- Alcohol per adult a year
- 10.82 litres of pure alcohol (2019)
- Traditional drinks
- Scotch whisky, Gin, Beer, ale and cider, Irish and Welsh whisky (regional)
Sources: World Bank (population, economy and demographics), WHO Global Health Observatory (alcohol per adult and drinking mix); Scotch Whisky Association 2025 exports; SWA international trade; WSTA industry booklet 2025; Scottish Financial Review on duty receipts; GOV.UK alcohol duty rates; GOV.UK arriving in Great Britain allowances; UN Comtrade API; UK Trade Tariff API - heading 2208 and commodity measures (read 27 Oct 2026). Figures are the latest each source publishes; the year is shown beside each one.