Infographic: Size & Health of the UK Space Industry 2023
Published 26 July 2024
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1. Size & Health of the UK Space Industry 2023
Total space industry income in 2021/22: £18.9bn
UK-based organisations with space-related activities: 1,765
Direct employees in 2021/22: 52,000
Labour productivity compared to UK average: 2.3x
Space Manufacturing: 13%
Space Operations: 11%
Space Applications: 72%
Ancillary Services: 3%
Income-growth (y-o-y): 0.2%
Employees are female: 1 in 4
R&D expenditure in 2021/22: £1.0bn
Employees with a primary degree or higher: 4 in 5
1.1 Exports
Income from exports in 2021/22: £5.8bn
1.2 Investment Monitor
Investments into UK-headquartered space companies 2013-2023
2013-2023
Total funds invested: £19.3bn
Investment deals: 361
2023
Total funds invested: £8.85bn
Investment deals: 70
1.3 Employment by region
London: 33%
South-East: 18%
Scotland: 12%
Rest of the World: 36%
Direct contribution of the UK space industry to UK GDP: £7.2bn
At least £364bn of UK GDP is supported by satellite services:
- Navigation
- Meteorology
- Communications
- Earth Observation
2 in 3 Organisations expect income growth over the next three years
London Economics (2024)
‘Size and Health of the UK Space Industry 2023’
Based on analysis of 1,766 UK-based space-related organisations
*UK non-financial business economy only