Tanzania contains some of Africa\u2019s most iconic national parks and famous paleoanthropological sites, and its diverse cultural heritage reflects the multiple ethnolinguistic groups that live in the country. Its long history of integration into trade networks spanning the Indian Ocean and the African interior led to the development of Swahili as a common language in much of east Africa and the introduction of Islam into the region. A number of independent coastal and island trading posts in what is now Tanzania came under Portuguese control after 1498 when they began to take control of much of the coast and Indian Ocean trade. By 1700, the Sultanate of Oman had become the dominant power in the region after ousting the Portuguese, who were also facing a series of local uprisings. During the next hundred years, Zanzibar -- an archipelago off the coast that is now part of Tanzania -- became a hub of Indian Ocean trade, with Arab and Indian traders establishing and consolidating trade routes with communities in mainland Tanzania that contributed to the expansion of the slave trade. Zanzibar briefly became the capital of the Sultanate of Oman before it split into separate Omani and Zanzibar Sultanates in 1856. Beginning in the mid-1800s, European explorers, traders, and Christian missionaries became more active in the region. The Germans eventually established control over mainland Tanzania -- which they called Tanganyika -- and the British established control over Zanzibar. Tanganyika came under British administration after the German defeat in World War I.
Tanganyika gained independence from Great Britain in 1961, and Zanzibar followed in 1963 as a constitutional monarchy. In Tanganyika, Julius NYERERE, a charismatic and idealistic socialist, established a one-party political system that centralized power and encouraged national self-reliance and rural development. In 1964, a popular uprising overthrew the Sultan in Zanzibar and either killed or expelled many of the Arabs and Indians who had dominated the isles for more than 200 years. Later that year, Tanganyika and Zanzibar combined to form the United Republic of Tanzania, but Zanzibar retained considerable autonomy. Their two ruling parties combined to form the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in 1977, which has since won every presidential election. Tanzania held its first multi-party elections in 1995, but CCM candidates have continued to dominate politics. The ruling party has claimed victory in four contentious elections since 1995, despite international observers' claims of voting irregularities. In 2001, 35 people died in Zanzibar when soldiers fired on protestors. John MAGUFULI won the 2015 and 2020 presidential elections, and the CCM won over two-thirds of the seats in Parliament in both elections. MAGUFULI died in 2021 while in office and was succeeded by his vice president, Samia Suluhu HASSAN.
"}},"Military and Security":{"Military - note":{"text":"the chief concerns of the Tanzania Defense Forces (TDPF) are maritime piracy and smuggling, border security, terrorism, animal poaching, and spillover from instability in neighboring countries, particularly Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); it participates in multinational training exercises, regional peacekeeping deployments, and has ties with a variety of foreign militaries, including those of China, India, and the US; it has contributed troops to the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the DRC; the TPDF also participated in the former Southern African Development Community intervention force in Mozambique, which assisted the Mozambique military in combating fighters affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); the regional force withdrew in 2024, but the TPDF continues to maintain troops in Mozambique as part of a separate bilateral security agreement; since 2020, the TPDF has reinforced the border with Mozambique following several cross-border attacks by ISIS fighters (2025)"},"Military and security forces":{"note":"note 1: the Nation Building Army (aka National Services) is a paramilitary organization under the Defense Forces that provides six months of military and vocational training to individuals as part of their two years of public service; after completion of training, some graduates join the regular Defense Forces while the remainder become part of the Reserveshigh-income, oil-driven Middle Eastern economy; fastest GDP growth of Gulf states; diversification through tourism, construction, and services; strong foreign direct investment orientation; continued government investment and business-friendly reforms
"},"Exchange rates":{"Currency":{"text":"Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar -"},"Exchange rates 2020":{"text":"3.672 (2020 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2021":{"text":"3.672 (2021 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2022":{"text":"3.672 (2022 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2023":{"text":"3.672 (2023 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2024":{"text":"3.672 (2024 est.)"}},"Exports":{"Exports 2021":{"text":"$425.156 billion (2021 est.)"},"Exports 2022":{"text":"$521.897 billion (2022 est.)"},"Exports 2023":{"text":"$558.402 billion (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: GDP expenditure basis - exports of goods and services in current dollars"},"Exports - commodities":{"note":"note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars","text":"crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)"},"Exports - partners":{"note":"note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports","text":"China 11%, India 11%, Japan 10%, Iraq 6%, Thailand 4% (2023)"},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"note":"note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate","text":"$537.079 billion (2024 est.)"},"GDP - composition, by end use":{"exports of goods and services":{"text":"108.6% (2023 est.)"},"government consumption":{"text":"12.4% (2023 est.)"},"household consumption":{"text":"45.6% (2023 est.)"},"imports of goods and services":{"text":"-93.7% (2023 est.)"},"investment in fixed capital":{"text":"27.1% (2023 est.)"},"investment in inventories":{"text":"0% (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection"},"GDP - composition, by sector of origin":{"agriculture":{"text":"0.7% (2023 est.)"},"industry":{"text":"47.7% (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data","services":{"text":"51.6% (2023 est.)"}},"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income":{"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018":{"text":"26.4 (2018 est.)"},"note":"note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality"},"Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"highest 10%":{"text":"20.5% (2018 est.)"},"lowest 10%":{"text":"2.8% (2018 est.)"},"note":"note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population"},"Imports":{"Imports 2021":{"text":"$347.529 billion (2021 est.)"},"Imports 2022":{"text":"$427.992 billion (2022 est.)"},"Imports 2023":{"text":"$481.852 billion (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: GDP expenditure basis - imports of goods and services in current dollars"},"Imports - commodities":{"note":"note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars","text":"gold, broadcasting equipment, cars, refined petroleum, diamonds (2023)"},"Imports - partners":{"note":"note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports","text":"China 19%, India 7%, USA 6%, Turkey 4%, Japan 4% (2023)"},"Industrial production growth rate":{"note":"note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency","text":"0.8% (2023 est.)"},"Industries":{"text":"petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022":{"text":"5.3% (2022 est.)"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023":{"text":"1.6% (2023 est.)"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024":{"text":"1.7% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: annual % change based on consumer prices"},"Labor force":{"note":"note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work","text":"7.09 million (2024 est.)"},"Public debt":{"Public debt 2017":{"text":"19.7% of GDP (2017 est.)"},"note":"note: central government debt as a % of GDP"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022":{"text":"$693.842 billion (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023":{"text":"$718.95 billion (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024":{"text":"$745.994 billion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: data in 2021 dollars"},"Real GDP growth rate":{"Real GDP growth rate 2022":{"text":"7.5% (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP growth rate 2023":{"text":"3.6% (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP growth rate 2024":{"text":"3.8% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency"},"Real GDP per capita":{"Real GDP per capita 2022":{"text":"$68,900 (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP per capita 2023":{"text":"$68,600 (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP per capita 2024":{"text":"$68,600 (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: data in 2021 dollars"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold":{"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022":{"text":"$138.433 billion (2022 est.)"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023":{"text":"$189.491 billion (2023 est.)"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024":{"text":"$237.931 billion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"},"Taxes and other revenues":{"note":"note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP","text":"0.6% (of GDP) (2023 est.)"},"Unemployment rate":{"Unemployment rate 2022":{"text":"2.9% (2022 est.)"},"Unemployment rate 2023":{"text":"2.2% (2023 est.)"},"Unemployment rate 2024":{"text":"2.2% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: % of labor force seeking employment"},"Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)":{"female":{"text":"12.1% (2024 est.)"},"male":{"text":"4.1% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment","total":{"text":"6.4% (2024 est.)"}}},"Energy":{"Coal":{"consumption":{"text":"5.411 million metric tons (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"82,000 metric tons (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"5.512 million metric tons (2023 est.)"}},"Electricity":{"consumption":{"text":"157.974 billion kWh (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"613 million kWh (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"501.067 million kWh (2023 est.)"},"installed generating capacity":{"text":"44.462 million kW (2023 est.)"},"transmission/distribution losses":{"text":"7.914 billion kWh (2023 est.)"}},"Electricity access":{"electrification - total population":{"text":"100% (2022 est.)"}},"Electricity generation sources":{"fossil fuels":{"text":"75.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"nuclear":{"text":"19.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"solar":{"text":"4.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"}},"Energy consumption per capita":{"Total energy consumption per capita 2023":{"text":"450.432 million Btu/person (2023 est.)"}},"Natural gas":{"consumption":{"text":"67.734 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"6.863 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"18.938 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"production":{"text":"55.8 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"proven reserves":{"text":"6.091 trillion cubic meters (2021 est.)"}},"Nuclear energy":{"Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors":{"text":"5.35GW (2025 est.)"},"Number of operational nuclear reactors":{"text":"4 (2025)"},"Percent of total electricity production":{"text":"19.7% (2023 est.)"}},"Petroleum":{"crude oil estimated reserves":{"text":"97.8 billion barrels (2021 est.)"},"refined petroleum consumption":{"text":"846,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)"},"total petroleum production":{"text":"4.146 million bbl/day (2023 est.)"}}},"Environment":{"Carbon dioxide emissions":{"from coal and metallurgical coke":{"text":"12.788 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"from consumed natural gas":{"text":"132.876 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"from petroleum and other liquids":{"text":"126.038 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"total emissions":{"text":"271.703 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"}},"Climate":{"text":"desert; cooler in eastern mountains"},"Environmental issues":{"text":"air pollution; water scarcity; lack of natural freshwater resources; land degradation and desertification; waste generation, beach pollution from oil spills"},"International environmental agreements":{"party to":{"text":"Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands"},"signed, but not ratified":{"text":"Law of the Sea"}},"Land use":{"agricultural land":{"text":"5.5% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: arable land":{"text":"arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent crops":{"text":"permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent pasture":{"text":"permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)"},"forest":{"text":"4.6% (2023 est.)"},"other":{"text":"89.7% (2023 est.)"}},"Methane emissions":{"agriculture":{"text":"47.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)"},"energy":{"text":"1,573.7 kt (2022-2024 est.)"},"other":{"text":"2.5 kt (2019-2021 est.)"},"waste":{"text":"448.4 kt (2019-2021 est.)"}},"Particulate matter emissions":{"text":"38.9 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)"},"Total renewable water resources":{"text":"150 million cubic meters (2022 est.)"},"Total water withdrawal":{"agricultural":{"text":"2.466 billion cubic meters (2022)"},"industrial":{"text":"55 million cubic meters (2022)"},"municipal":{"text":"2.297 billion cubic meters (2022)"}},"Urbanization":{"rate of urbanization":{"text":"1.5% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"},"urban population":{"text":"87.8% of total population (2023)"}},"Waste and recycling":{"municipal solid waste generated annually":{"text":"5.618 million tons (2024 est.)"},"percent of municipal solid waste recycled":{"text":"24.5% (2022 est.)"}}},"Geography":{"Area":{"land":{"text":"83,600 sq km"},"total ":{"text":"83,600 sq km"},"water":{"text":"0 sq km"}},"Area - comparative":{"text":"slightly larger than South Carolina; slightly smaller than Maine"},"Climate":{"text":"desert; cooler in eastern mountains"},"Coastline":{"text":"1,318 km"},"Elevation":{"highest point":{"text":"Jabal Bil 'Ays 1,905 m"},"lowest point":{"text":"Persian Gulf 0 m"},"mean elevation":{"text":"149 m"}},"Geographic coordinates":{"text":"24 00 N, 54 00 E"},"Geography - note":{"text":"strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a transit point for crude oil; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) together account for over 90% of UAE's area and two-thirds of the population"},"Irrigated land":{"text":"940 sq km (2022)"},"Land boundaries":{"border countries":{"text":"Oman 609 km; Saudi Arabia 457 km"},"total":{"text":"1,066 km"}},"Land use":{"agricultural land":{"text":"5.5% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: arable land":{"text":"arable land: 0.7% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent crops":{"text":"permanent crops: 0.6% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent pasture":{"text":"permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.)"},"forest":{"text":"4.6% (2023 est.)"},"other":{"text":"89.7% (2023 est.)"}},"Location":{"text":"Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia"},"Map references":{"text":"Middle East"},"Maritime claims":{"contiguous zone":{"text":"24 nm"},"continental shelf":{"text":"200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin"},"exclusive economic zone":{"text":"200 nm"},"territorial sea":{"text":"12 nm"}},"Natural hazards":{"text":"frequent sand and dust storms"},"Natural resources":{"text":"petroleum, natural gas"},"Population distribution":{"text":"population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates -- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah -- are home to nearly 85% of the population"},"Terrain":{"text":"flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east"}},"Government":{"Administrative divisions":{"text":"7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn"},"Capital":{"etymology":{"text":"in Arabic, abu means \"father,\" and dhabi refers to a personal name, Dhabi or Zabi, that comes from the word zab, or \"gazelle\"\u00a0"},"geographic coordinates":{"text":"24 28 N, 54 22 E"},"name":{"text":"Abu Dhabi"},"time difference":{"text":"UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"}},"Citizenship":{"citizenship by birth":{"text":"no"},"citizenship by descent only":{"text":"the father must be a citizen of the United Arab Emirates; if the father is unknown, the mother must be a citizen"},"dual citizenship recognized":{"text":"no"},"residency requirement for naturalization":{"text":"30 years"}},"Constitution":{"amendment process":{"text":"proposed by the Supreme Council and submitted to the Federal National Council; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority vote of Federal National Council members present and approval of the Supreme Council president"},"history":{"text":"previous 1971 (provisional); latest drafted in 1979, became permanent May 1996"}},"Country name":{"abbreviation":{"text":"UAE"},"conventional long form":{"text":"United Arab Emirates"},"conventional short form":{"text":"none"},"etymology":{"text":"self-descriptive country name; the name Arabia can be traced back at least as far as the ancient Egyptians, who referred to the region as \"Ar Rabi;\" \"emirates\" derives from amir, the Arabic word for \"commander,\" \"lord,\" or \"prince;\" the former name, Trucial States, refers to a maritime truce from 1820 between the British and the Arab sheikhdoms"},"former":{"text":"Trucial Oman, Trucial States"},"local long form":{"text":"Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah"},"local short form":{"text":"none"}},"Diplomatic representation from the US":{"FAX":{"text":"[971] (2) 414-2241"},"chief of mission":{"text":"Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Eric GAUDIOSI (since August 2025)"},"consulate(s) general":{"text":"Dubai"},"email address and website":{"text":"high-income, non-EU European economy; global financial center and dominant service sector; sluggish growth from stringent monetary policy, reduced business investment, low productivity and participation rates; fiscal austerity in face of high public debt\u00a0
"},"Exchange rates":{"Currency":{"text":"British pounds (GBP) per US dollar -"},"Exchange rates 2020":{"text":"0.78 (2020 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2021":{"text":"0.727 (2021 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2022":{"text":"0.811 (2022 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2023":{"text":"0.805 (2023 est.)"},"Exchange rates 2024":{"text":"0.782 (2024 est.)"}},"Exports":{"Exports 2022":{"text":"$1.041 trillion (2022 est.)"},"Exports 2023":{"text":"$1.078 trillion (2023 est.)"},"Exports 2024":{"text":"$1.117 trillion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars"},"Exports - commodities":{"note":"note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars","text":"cars, gold, gas turbines, packaged medicine, crude petroleum (2023)"},"Exports - partners":{"note":"note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports","text":"USA 14%, China 8%, Germany 8%, Netherlands 7%, Ireland 7% (2023)"},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"note":"note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate","text":"$3.644 trillion (2024 est.)"},"GDP - composition, by end use":{"exports of goods and services":{"text":"32% (2023 est.)"},"government consumption":{"text":"20.5% (2023 est.)"},"household consumption":{"text":"61.3% (2023 est.)"},"imports of goods and services":{"text":"-33.1% (2023 est.)"},"investment in fixed capital":{"text":"17.6% (2023 est.)"},"investment in inventories":{"text":"-0.4% (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection"},"GDP - composition, by sector of origin":{"agriculture":{"text":"0.6% (2024 est.)"},"industry":{"text":"16.7% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data","services":{"text":"72.8% (2024 est.)"}},"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income":{"Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021":{"text":"32.4 (2021 est.)"},"note":"note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality"},"Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"highest 10%":{"text":"24.6% (2021 est.)"},"lowest 10%":{"text":"3% (2021 est.)"},"note":"note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population"},"Imports":{"Imports 2022":{"text":"$1.1 trillion (2022 est.)"},"Imports 2023":{"text":"$1.114 trillion (2023 est.)"},"Imports 2024":{"text":"$1.158 trillion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars"},"Imports - commodities":{"note":"note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars","text":"cars, gold, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas (2023)"},"Imports - partners":{"note":"note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports","text":"China 13%, USA 11%, Germany 10%, France 5%, Norway 4% (2023)"},"Industrial production growth rate":{"note":"note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency","text":"-0.5% (2024 est.)"},"Industries":{"text":"machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022":{"text":"7.9% (2022 est.)"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023":{"text":"6.8% (2023 est.)"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024":{"text":"3.3% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: annual % change based on consumer prices"},"Labor force":{"note":"note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work","text":"35.359 million (2024 est.)"},"Population below poverty line":{"note":"note: % of population with income below national poverty line","text":"18.6% (2017 est.)"},"Public debt":{"Public debt 2023":{"text":"138.6% of GDP (2023 est.)"},"note":"note: central government debt as a % of GDP"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022":{"text":"$3.582 trillion (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023":{"text":"$3.596 trillion (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024":{"text":"$3.636 trillion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: data in 2021 dollars"},"Real GDP growth rate":{"Real GDP growth rate 2022":{"text":"4.8% (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP growth rate 2023":{"text":"0.4% (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP growth rate 2024":{"text":"1.1% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency"},"Real GDP per capita":{"Real GDP per capita 2022":{"text":"$53,000 (2022 est.)"},"Real GDP per capita 2023":{"text":"$52,500 (2023 est.)"},"Real GDP per capita 2024":{"text":"$52,500 (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: data in 2021 dollars"},"Remittances":{"Remittances 2022":{"text":"0.1% of GDP (2022 est.)"},"Remittances 2023":{"text":"0.1% of GDP (2023 est.)"},"Remittances 2024":{"text":"0.1% of GDP (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold":{"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022":{"text":"$176.41 billion (2022 est.)"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023":{"text":"$177.915 billion (2023 est.)"},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024":{"text":"$174.598 billion (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars"},"Taxes and other revenues":{"note":"note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP","text":"27.4% (of GDP) (2023 est.)"},"Unemployment rate":{"Unemployment rate 2022":{"text":"3.8% (2022 est.)"},"Unemployment rate 2023":{"text":"4% (2023 est.)"},"Unemployment rate 2024":{"text":"4.2% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: % of labor force seeking employment"},"Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)":{"female":{"text":"9.7% (2024 est.)"},"male":{"text":"14.9% (2024 est.)"},"note":"note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment","total":{"text":"12.4% (2024 est.)"}}},"Energy":{"Coal":{"consumption":{"text":"7.372 million metric tons (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"981,000 metric tons (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"6.633 million metric tons (2023 est.)"},"production":{"text":"1.568 million metric tons (2023 est.)"},"proven reserves":{"text":"26 million metric tons (2023 est.)"}},"Electricity":{"consumption":{"text":"262.166 billion kWh (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"9.449 billion kWh (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"33.212 billion kWh (2023 est.)"},"installed generating capacity":{"text":"114.749 million kW (2023 est.)"},"transmission/distribution losses":{"text":"28.961 billion kWh (2023 est.)"}},"Electricity access":{"electrification - rural areas":{"text":"100%"},"electrification - total population":{"text":"100% (2022 est.)"},"electrification - urban areas":{"text":"99.9%"}},"Electricity generation sources":{"biomass and waste":{"text":"12.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"fossil fuels":{"text":"36.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"hydroelectricity":{"text":"1.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"nuclear":{"text":"13.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"solar":{"text":"4.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"},"wind":{"text":"30.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)"}},"Energy consumption per capita":{"Total energy consumption per capita 2023":{"text":"94.28 million Btu/person (2023 est.)"}},"Natural gas":{"consumption":{"text":"63.553 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"exports":{"text":"15.842 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"imports":{"text":"45.226 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"production":{"text":"34.029 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)"},"proven reserves":{"text":"180.661 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)"}},"Nuclear energy":{"Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors":{"text":"5.88GW (2025 est.)"},"Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down":{"text":"36 (2025)"},"Number of nuclear reactors under construction":{"text":"2 (2025)"},"Number of operational nuclear reactors":{"text":"9 (2025)"},"Percent of total electricity production":{"text":"12.5% (2023 est.)"}},"Petroleum":{"crude oil estimated reserves":{"text":"2.5 billion barrels (2021 est.)"},"refined petroleum consumption":{"text":"1.406 million bbl/day (2024 est.)"},"total petroleum production":{"text":"753,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)"}}},"Environment":{"Carbon dioxide emissions":{"from coal and metallurgical coke":{"text":"17.093 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"from consumed natural gas":{"text":"126.713 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"from petroleum and other liquids":{"text":"197.133 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"},"total emissions":{"text":"340.94 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)"}},"Climate":{"text":"temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast"},"Environmental issues":{"text":"air pollution in the London region; soil pollution from pesticides and heavy metals; decline in marine and coastal habitats from housing, tourism, and industry"},"Geoparks":{"global geoparks and regional networks":{"text":"Arran; Black Country; Cuilcagh Lakelands (includes Ireland); English Riviera; Fforest Fawr; GeoMôn; Mourne Gullion Strangford; North Pennines AONB; North-West Highlands; Shetland (2025)"},"total global geoparks and regional networks":{"text":"10 (2025)"}},"International environmental agreements":{"party to":{"text":"Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling"},"signed, but not ratified":{"text":"none of the selected agreements"}},"Land use":{"agricultural land":{"text":"70.3% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: arable land":{"text":"arable land: 25% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent crops":{"text":"permanent crops: 0.2% (2023 est.)"},"agricultural land: permanent pasture":{"text":"permanent pasture: 45.2% (2023 est.)"},"forest":{"text":"13.4% (2023 est.)"},"other":{"text":"14.7% (2023 est.)"}},"Methane emissions":{"agriculture":{"text":"1,030.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)"},"energy":{"text":"353.4 kt (2022-2024 est.)"},"other":{"text":"62 kt (2019-2021 est.)"},"waste":{"text":"1,070.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)"}},"Particulate matter emissions":{"text":"7.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)"},"Total renewable water resources":{"text":"147 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"},"Total water withdrawal":{"agricultural":{"text":"1.183 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"},"industrial":{"text":"1.01 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"},"municipal":{"text":"6.227 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)"}},"Urbanization":{"rate of urbanization":{"text":"0.8% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)"},"urban population":{"text":"84.6% of total population (2023)"}},"Waste and recycling":{"municipal solid waste generated annually":{"text":"30.771 million tons (2024 est.)"},"percent of municipal solid waste recycled":{"text":"34.2% (2022 est.)"}}},"Geography":{"Area":{"land":{"text":"241,930 sq km"},"note":"note 1: England covers 53% of the area, Scotland 32%, Wales 9%, and Northern Ireland 6%The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1707 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while Wales had been part of the Kingdom of England since the 16th century. The United Kingdom has historically played a leading role in developing parliamentary democracy and in advancing literature and science. The 18th and 19th centuries saw the rapid expansion of the British Empire despite the loss of the Thirteen Colonies, and at its zenith in the early 20th century, the British Empire stretched over one fourth of the earth's surface. The first half of the 20th century saw two World Wars seriously deplete the UK's strength and the Irish Republic withdraw from the union. The second half witnessed the dismantling of the Empire and the UK rebuilding itself into a modern and prosperous European nation. As one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council and a founding member of NATO and the Commonwealth of Nations, the UK pursues a global approach to foreign policy. The devolved Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly were established in 1998.
The UK was an active member of the EU after its accession in 1973, although it chose to remain outside the Economic and Monetary Union. However, motivated in part by frustration at a remote bureaucracy in Brussels and massive migration into the country, UK citizens in 2016 voted by 52 to 48 percent to leave the EU. On 31 January 2020, the UK became the only country to depart the EU -- a move known as \"Brexit\" -- after prolonged negotiations on EU-UK economic and security relationships.
"}},"Military and Security":{"Military - note":{"text":"the British military has a long history, a global presence, and a wide range of missions and responsibilities, including protecting the UK, its dependencies and territories, national interests, and values, preventing conflict, providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international peacekeeping, building relationships, and fulfilling the UK\u2019s alliance and treaty commitments; in addition to its role in the UN, the UK is a leading member of NATOworld\u2019s largest economy by nominal GDP; largest importer and second-largest exporter; home to leading financial exchanges and global reserve currency; high and growing public debt; inflation moderating but remains above pre-pandemic levels
"},"Exchange rates":{"text":"British pounds per US dollar: \u00a00.782 (2024 est.), 0.805 (2023 est.), 0.811 (2022 est.), 0.727 (2021 est.), 0.780 (2020 est.)\u00a0Missouri - 3,768 km; Mississippi - 3,544 km; Yukon river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 3,190 km; Saint Lawrence (shared with Canada) - 3,058 km; Rio Grande river source (mouth shared with Mexico) - 3,057 km; Colorado river source (shared with Mexico [m]) - 2,333 km; Arkansas - 2,348 km; Columbia river mouth (shared with Canada [s]) - 2,250 km; Red - 2,188 km; Ohio - 2,102 km); Snake - 1,670 km
note:\u00a0[s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Thirteen of Britain's American colonies broke with the mother country in 1776 and were recognized as the new nation of the United States of America following the Treaty of Paris in 1783. During the 19th and 20th centuries, 37 new states were added as the nation expanded across the North American continent and acquired a number of overseas possessions. Two of the most traumatic experiences in the nation's history were the Civil War (1861-65), in which a northern Union of states defeated a secessionist Confederacy of 11 southern slave states, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, an economic downturn during which about a quarter of the labor force lost its jobs. Buoyed by victories in World Wars I and II and the end of the Cold War in 1991, the US remains the world's most powerful nation state. Since the end of World War II, the economy has achieved relatively steady growth, low unemployment, and rapid advances in technology.
"}},"Military and Security":{"Military - note":{"text":"the US military's primary missions are to deter potential enemies, provide for the defense of the US, its Territories, Commonwealths and possessions, and any areas occupied by the US, and to protect US national interests; its responsibilities are worldwide and include providing humanitarian assistance, participating in international military exercises and operations, conducting military diplomacy, and fulfilling the US's alliance and treaty commitments; the US has been a leading member of NATO since the Alliance's formation in 1949All of the following US Pacific Island territories except Midway Atoll constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior. Midway Atoll NWR has been included in a Refuge Complex with the Hawaiian Islands NWR and also designated as part of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They sustain many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.
Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857. US and British companies mined its guano deposits during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began but was disrupted by World War II, and the island was thereafter abandoned. Baker Island was declared a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.
Howland Island: The US discovered the island early in the 19th century and officially claimed it in 1857. Both US and British companies mined guano on the island until about 1890. Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was partially destroyed during World War II but subsequently rebuilt; it is named in memory of famed aviatrix Amelia EARHART. The US Department of the Interior administers the island as a National Wildlife Refuge.
Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858 but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano deposits were removed for use in producing fertilizer. The UK annexed the island in 1889 but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935. Abandoned after World War II, the island is currently a National Wildlife Refuge administered by the US Department of the Interior.
Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston Atoll was designated a wildlife refuge in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until 2000, the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Cleanup and closure of the weapons facility ended in 2005.
Kingman Reef: The US annexed Kingman Reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.
Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the Midway Islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until 1993. Today the islands are a US National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was open to the public from 1996 to 2002 and again from 2008 to 2012, but it is now closed.
Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy and partly US Government-owned and administered as a nature preserve. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12-nautical-mile US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and were designated a National Wildlife Refuge in 2001.
"}},"Military and Security":{"Military - note":{"text":"defense is the responsibility of the US"}},"People and Society":{"Population":{"text":"note: entry is only allowed through a Special Use Permit when the activity is deemed appropriate with purposes to the refuge establishment.\u00a0
"}},"Transnational Issues":{},"Transportation":{"Airports":{"text":"2 (2025)"}}},"gec_code":"um","iso_code":"UM","name":"United States Minor Outlying Islands"}],"success":true,"version":"v1"}