Economy · Growth & GDP · 16 October 2026
UK records £18 billion trade deficit in 2025
House of Commons Library has published figures showing the UK recorded an overall trade deficit of £18 billion in 2025. Exports of goods and services reached £910 billion, while imports totalled £929 billion.
The House of Commons Library has published new data outlining the UK's trade performance for 2025. The figures confirm an overall trade deficit of £18 billion for the year. This deficit follows a current account deficit of £70 billion recorded in the same period.
Total UK exports of goods and services stood at £910 billion in 2025, compared with £929 billion in imports. The EU accounted for 41% of UK exports and 49% of imports during this time. While the UK recorded a £195 billion surplus on trade in services, this was offset by a £213 billion deficit on trade in goods.
Relations with the EU remain a significant factor in the trade balance. The UK had a trade deficit of £96 billion with the EU in 2025. In contrast, the country recorded a trade surplus of £57 billion with non-EU countries. More recent data shows a trade deficit of £8.0 billion with all countries in the three months to August 2026.
The current account deficit decreased from £81 billion in 2024 to £70 billion in 2025. As a percentage of GDP, the deficit fell from 2.8% in 2024 to 2.3% in 2025. The latest quarterly data indicates a current account deficit of £11.3 billion in Q2 2026, representing 1.4% of GDP.
The next ONS UK Trade update is scheduled for 12 November 2026. The next ONS UK Balance of Payments update will follow on 22 December 2026. These upcoming releases will provide further details on the ongoing trade and balance of payments trends.
Written by StreetOwl from House of Commons Library’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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