United States vs United Kingdom
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
The United States and United Kingdom share deep economic ties — the UK is one of America's largest foreign investors, and London and New York are the world's two dominant financial centers. The US economy is roughly seven times larger than the UK's, and GDP per capita is about 50% higher. The UK has faced unique economic headwinds since Brexit, including reduced trade access to the European single market and labor shortages in key sectors. Both countries share a services-dominated economic structure, with financial services, technology, and professional services driving growth.
United States has a GDP of $32.38T compared to United Kingdom's $4.26T, making it 7.6x larger. United States's population is 341.8M vs United Kingdom's 69.5M. Across 12 key indicators, United States leads in 7 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  United States |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $32.38T✓ | $4.26T |
| GDP per Capita | $94,430✓ | $61,056 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 2.3%✓ | 0.8% |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $94,430✓ | $67,585 |
| Population | 341.8M✓ | 69.5M |
| Life Expectancy | 78.9 years | 81.4 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Unemployment (%) | 4.4%✓ | 5.6% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 125.8% | 103.6%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.6✓ | 1.6 |
| Gini Index | 41.8 | 32.4✓ |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 13.6 | 4.2✓ |
Summary
United States has a GDP of $32.38T compared to United Kingdom's $4.26T, making the former economy 7.6x larger. In terms of population, United States has 341.8M people while United Kingdom has 69.5M. Across the 12 indicators compared, United States leads in 7 and United Kingdom leads in 4.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $32.38T2026 | $4.26T2026 |
| World Bank | $30.77T2025 | $4.00T2025 |
| United Nations | $29.30T2024 | $3.69T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. United States spans about 11% across 2 years; United Kingdom spans about 16% across 2 years.
| Source | United States | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $94,4302026 | $61,0562026 |
| World Bank | $90,0272025 | $57,6022025 |
| United Nations | $84,8172024 | $53,3122024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. United States spans about 11% across 2 years; United Kingdom spans about 15% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.
United StatesUnited Kingdom