How would you quantify the wealth of a city? Would you use the number of millionaires, billionaires, and people’s average salary, or which quantitative measure would you adopt? This guide uses the most recent official data on regional gross domestic product from Office for National Statistics, UK, to determine the current richest cities in UK by GDP.
To quantify the richest cities in UK, values given in this article are Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current market prices. The GDP of each city is indicated in pounds million. Using GDP to measure the wealth of a city might produce different results compared to GDP per capita. Some cities are likely to rank higher or lower than others if we use GDP per capita. However, since GDP takes a macro approach to measuring economic activity, it is a more predominant measure of wealth to use than GDP per capita.
Richest Cities in UK by GDP
1. City of London – 86,997 £ Million
As of 2020 regional GDP data, London was the first among the richest cities in UK, with a GDP of 86,997 £ Million. This increased by 6,776 £ Million from 2019’s GDP and 10,010 £ Million from 2018. It has been one of those cities in the UK whose wealth has been on an upward trajectory.
2. Westminster – 74,024 £ Million
Westminster was the second richest city in the UK as per the 2020 economic statistics by ONS. This city came second with a GDP of 74,024 £ Million. It was a significant dip of 4,359 £ Million worth of GDP from 78,383 £ Million in 2019. It was also a dip compared to the city’s GDP in 2018, which was 74,374 £ Million.
3. Birmingham – 30,579 £ Million
Birmingham came in third, but again with a dip in GDP, like Westminster’s case. This city had a GDP of 30,579 £ Million in 2020. It was a 779 £ Million decrease from 2019’s GDP. In comparison to 2018’s GDP, which was at 30,787 £ Million, Birmingham city lost 208 £ Million.
4. Leeds – 28,953 £ Million
The city of Leeds came in at number four with a GDP of 28,953 £ Million in 2020. In 2019, the GDP of this city was 30,307 £ Million, meaning it lost 1,354 £ Million. It is also among those cities which lost some of their GDP from 2018 to 2020. By comparing the 2020’s GDP with that of 2018, the city lost 253 £ Million from 2018’s GDP of 29,206 £ Million.
5. Manchester – 26,361 £ Million
The fifth position was Manchester, with a GDP of 26,361 £ Million. Compared to Manchester’s 2019 GDP, it was a dip of 1,115 £ Million. However, it was a slight increment in comparison to the GDP of this city back in 2018. In 2018, the GDP of Manchester was 25,637 £ Million. From 2018 to 2020, the city’s GDP increased by 724 £ Million.
6. City of Edinburgh – 25,705 £ Million
At the sixth position of the richest cities in UK by GDP was the City of Edinburgh. Edinburgh had a GDP of 25,705 £ Million in 2020. The city lost its GDP from 2019 to 2020, like the majority of richest cities in the UK.
In 2019, the City of Edinburgh had a GDP of 27,072 £ Million, reducing 2020’s GDP by 1,367 £ Million. 2020’s GDP was also slightly lower compared to 2018, which was 26,275 £ Million.
7. Glasgow City – 24,573 £ Million
Glasgow City held the seventh position with a GDP of 24,573 £ Million in 2020. Like Edinburgh and others, it lost 584 £ Million from 2019’s GDP record. It was, however, an increment of 648 £ Million compared to 2018’s GDP of 23,925 £ Million.
8. Bristol – 17,383 £ Million
Bristol held the eighth position with a GDP of 17,383 £ Million per 2020 ONS data. The GDP of Bristol City decreased by 216 £ Million from 17,599 £ Million in 2019. The city had higher GDP in 2020 than the 2018 GDP of 16,646 £ Million. The city’s 2020 GDP was thus higher than its 2018 record by 737 £ Million.
9. Liverpool – 15,227 £ Million
Liverpool came in as the ninth among the richest cities in UK by GDP. In the ONS regional GDP records, it had a GDP of 15,227 £ Million in 2020. This was lower than 2019’s GDP by 295 £ Million. However, Liverpool’s 2020 GDP was higher than 2018’s 14,625 £ worth of GDP by 602 £ Million.
10. Sheffield – 14,751 £ Million
Sheffield is known as the home of the world’s oldest football club. It was at position ten with a GDP of 14,751 £ Million. The GDP in 2020 decreased by 221 £ Million from the 2019 GDP of 14,972 £ Million. Despite the slight decrease from 2019 to 2020, it was an increment of 397 £ Million from 2018 to 2020’s GDP.
11. Belfast – 14,318 £ Million
At the eleventh position was Belfast, with a GDP of 14,318 £ Million. A trend of decreased GDP from previous years was also manifested in this city. Belfast’s GDP in 2020 was lower than in 2019 by 552 £ Million. It was also lower by 62 £ Million compared to the 2018 GDP of 14,380 £ Million.
12. Cardiff – 13,400 £ Million
Cardiff held the twelfth position among the richest cities in UK by GDP. In 2020, ONS revealed that the city had a GDP of 13,400 £ Million. It was lower than 2019’s GDP of 13,607 £ Million. However, it was an increment of 414 £ Million from 2018 to 2020.
13. Bradford – 11,295 £ Million
Bradford City was at position thirteen for the recent regional GDP data. In 2020, the GDP of this city was 11,295 £ Million. This was GDP dip of 233 £ Million from 2019 to 2020. 2020’s GDP was also a dip of 30 £ Million from 2018’s GDP of 11,325 £ Million.
14. Coventry – 10,888 £ Million
In the fourteenth position was Coventry, with a GDP of 10,888 £ Million for the 2020 regional gross domestic product. The city dropped from 2019’s GDP of 11,208 £ Million. 10,888 £ Million GDP in 2020 was, however, a slight increase of 85 £ Million from 2018’s GDP of 10,803 £ Million.
15. Aberdeen City – 10,499 £ Million
The fifteenth position went to Aberdeen City, with a GDP of 10,499 £ Million in 2020. Aberdeen city’s 2020 GDP was a loss of 713 £ Millions from 2019. It also decreased by 291 £ Million from 2018’s GDP of 10,790 £ Million.
16. Newcastle upon Tyne – 9,897 £ Million
Newcastle upon Tyne came at position sixteen, with its 2020 GDP being 9,897 £ Million. This was lower than the city’s GDP in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, the city’s GDP was 10,212 £ Million, and 10,557 £ Million in 2019.
17. Wakefield – 9,016 £ Million
Wakefield came in as the seventeenth among the richest cities in UK by GDP. It had a GDP of 9,016 £ Million in 2020, a 261 £ Million decrease from 2019’s GDP of 9,277 £ Million. However, the 2020’s GDP of the city was an increment in comparison to its GDP in 2018.
In 2018, Wakefield had a GDP of 8,884 £ Million. Hence, the city’s GDP in 2020 was a 132 £ Million increment.
18. Salford – 8,943 £ Million
At the eighteenth position of the richest cities in UK was Salford City, with a GDP of 8,943 £ Million in 2020. Similar to other richest cities in the UK, it was a dip compared to the GDP of this city in 2019. The city lost 70 £ Million of its GDP from 2019 to 2020. Salford city, however, recorded a 383 £ Million increment in GDP from 2018’s 8,560 £ Million.
19. Sunderland – 7,763 £ Million
At position nineteen of the richest city in UK was Sunderland, with a GDP of 7,763 £ Million in 2020. The city lost 530 £ Million worth of GDP from 2019 to 2020. The GDP of this city also decreased by 242 £ Million compared to the GDP of 8,005 £ Million in 2018.
20. Peterborough – 7,178 £ Million
The twentieth richest city in UK was Peterborough, a city in eastern England. The city had a GDP of 7,178 £ Million in 2020. This was 20 £ Million lower than 2019’s GDP of 7,198 £ Million. Peterborough’s GDP in 2020 was also lower by 383 £ Million compared to 2018’s GDP of 7,561 £ Million.
