United Kingdom: Total natural resources rents (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, United Kingdom's total natural resources rents (% of GDP) rose 0.3 percentage points on 2020 (from 0.28% to 0.59%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.25 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.34 percentage points in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.92 percentage points in 1986. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 19% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2021, United Kingdom had the 123rd highest value of the 196 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to United Kingdom in the 2021 ranking

• Croatia — 120th of 196: 0.68%
• Montenegro — 121st of 196: 0.64%
• Bangladesh — 122nd of 196: 0.61%
• Vanuatu — 124th of 196: 0.57%
• El Salvador — 125th of 196: 0.54%
• Belize — 126th of 196: 0.52%

What this measures

Total natural resources rents are the sum of oil rents, natural gas rents, coal rents (hard and soft), mineral rents, and forest rents.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 52 values

Total natural resources rents (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Albania — 1.44% (2021)
• Andorra — 0% (2021)
• Armenia — 7.05% (2021)
• Austria — 0.12% (2021)
• Azerbaijan — 29.94% (2021)
• Belarus — 1.86% (2021)
• Belgium — 0.04% (2021)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 0.81% (2021)
• Bulgaria — 0.92% (2021)
• Croatia — 0.68% (2021)

More environment data for United Kingdom

• Population in largest city — 9.84 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 17% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 19.05 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 27.42% (2025)
• Rural population — 11.59 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 16.68% (2025)
• Urban population — 57.9 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 83.32% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 226,006 (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is United Kingdom's total natural resources rents (% of GDP)?

0.59% in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 0.5 percentage points from 0.09% in 1970. The highest value was 2.99% in 1984 and the lowest 0.09% in 1970.

How does United Kingdom rank?

123rd highest of 196 economies with data for 2021.

Is the latest change in total natural resources rents (% of GDP) unusual for United Kingdom?

In 2021, United Kingdom's total natural resources rents (% of GDP) rose 0.3 percentage points on 2020 (from 0.28% to 0.59%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1991 to 2020), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.25 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator NY.GDP.TOTL.RT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank (WB), uri: https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/changing-wealth-of-nations/data, note: World Bank staff estimates based on sources and methods described in the World Bank's The Changing Wealth of Nations., publisher: World Bank (WB); Staff estimates, Wo… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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