Made in Britain is pleased to share the 2025 edition of its annual UK Economy Barometer, which offers a snapshot of performance and perception within the UK manufacturing sector and Made in Britain’s growing membership.
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"This year’s Barometer of British Manufacturing underscores what we hear every day from Made in Britain companies. They are armed with the resilience and tenacity to succeed, despite multiple economic shocks and random tariff announcements upending their plans and stalling their export decisions. The Barometer once again proves what defines this extraordinary business community – they are already transitioning to become a more coherent and innovative UK sector making goods to secure our future and restore our manufacturing self-confidence.”
John Pearce, Chief Executive, Made in Britain
Made in Britain is a business-led, independent trade body that represents, promotes and supports UK manufacturers, led by the licensed use of the official Made in Britain trademark.
Now with more than 2,150 UK manufacturing companies as members, of which 95% are SMEs, Made in Britain continues to grow. As we do so, it is our responsibility to increasingly share the views and voices of our members. Not only to continue to promote Made in Britain and the fantastic companies that are part of our community – but also a commitment to the sector as a whole and all UK manufacturers.
Key findings from this year’s report include:
- 31% of manufacturers reported turnover growth in the past year, down from 51% in 2024
- 45% expect to grow in the year ahead, down from over 70% last year
- The most cited opportunity was ‘expanding into new regions or markets’, followed by ‘developing new products’
- The most cited challenge remains the ‘high cost of doing business’, echoing last year’s top concern
- 38% of companies engaged with government or publicly funded initiatives
Drawing on insights from 124 Made in Britain companies across diverse sectors and the whole of the UK, the Barometer focuses on four core themes: turnover, employment, challenges, and business support.
While all data and insights come from Made in Britain members, this Barometer is intended to be representative of UK manufacturing as a sector. Thank you again to all the companies that directly contributed.
Lastly, Made in Britain is keen to continue to develop and evolve the Barometer. If you are a manufacturer, politician, policy-maker, journalist, academic or sector stakeholder and want to know more, or may be interested to get involved with future versions, please do get in touch with us via info@madeinbritain.org.
By Made in Britain 3 weeks ago | By Made in Britain