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Where does the United Kingdom get its medicines? Import sources 2024

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported $17.7 billion of medicines (187 thousand tonnes), 3.6% of the world total. Its main sources were the United States (14%), Italy (14%) and Germany (13%). The United Kingdom was the world’s 7th-largest importer of medicines.

Summary

Value
$17.7billion
Tonnes
187thousand tonnes
Share of world total
3.6%
World rank
7th
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 20 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
United States2.5Tonnes: 3,885USD per tonne: $647,94414.3%Air
Italy2.5Tonnes: 9,637USD per tonne: $259,51314.2%Air
Germany2.3Tonnes: 28,184USD per tonne: $82,04513.1%Air
Singapore re-exports1.6Tonnes: 229USD per tonne: $6,788,7868.8%Air
Ireland1.4Tonnes: 28,068USD per tonne: $50,2868%Land
France1Tonnes: 24,902USD per tonne: $41,7505.9%Sea
India0.89Tonnes: 28,625USD per tonne: $31,1915.1%Sea
Switzerland0.7Tonnes: 2,386USD per tonne: $293,8784%Air
Denmark0.62Tonnes: 800USD per tonne: $769,1743.5%Air
Spain0.61Tonnes: 12,206USD per tonne: $49,6253.4%Sea
Belgium re-exports0.5Tonnes: 5,021USD per tonne: $98,8232.8%Air
Netherlands re-exports0.49Tonnes: 6,621USD per tonne: $73,8972.8%Air
Sweden0.34Tonnes: 1,330USD per tonne: $253,5661.9%Air
China0.29Tonnes: 7,739USD per tonne: $37,4291.6%Sea
Canada0.24Tonnes: 634USD per tonne: $383,4271.4%Air
Greece0.22Tonnes: 4,041USD per tonne: $54,6701.3%Sea
Japan0.18Tonnes: 391USD per tonne: $454,3151%Air
Poland0.17Tonnes: 2,445USD per tonne: $69,7370.97%Air
Austria0.16Tonnes: 6,037USD per tonne: $26,8300.92%Sea
Czechia0.13Tonnes: 416USD per tonne: $314,2050.74%Air

Trend

Who it buys from

The United States has been its main source since 2021

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • United States 2.5
  • Italy 2.5
  • Germany 2.3
  • Singapore 1.6
  • Ireland 1.4

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
United States0.112.5
Italy0.12.5
Germany0.472.3
Singapore< 0.011.6
Ireland0.321.4

Sources and methodology

Other products of this country

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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