UUNITED KINGDOM
FACTBOOK
United Kingdom FactbookDraft

November 2026 Edition

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United Kingdom Factbook · National chapter / GBR

Government

United Kingdom flag
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2021 Factbook flag mirror; image identity has not been individually audited. Source.

Last updated: November 5, 2026

Sections in Government
  1. Country name
  2. Government type
  3. Capital
  4. Administrative divisions
  5. Dependent areas
  6. Legal system
  7. Constitution
  8. International law organization participation
  9. Citizenship
  10. Suffrage
  11. Executive branch
  12. Legislative branch
  13. Legislative branch - lower chamber
  14. Legislative branch - upper chamber
  15. Judicial branch
  16. Political parties
  17. Diplomatic representation in the US
  18. Diplomatic representation from the US
  19. International organization participation
  20. Independence
  21. National holiday
  22. Flag
  23. National symbol(s)
  24. National color(s)
  25. National anthem(s)
  26. National heritage

Government

Country name:81

conventional long form:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; note - the island of Great Britain includes England, Scotland, and Wales
conventional short form:United Kingdom
abbreviation:UK
etymology:the name United Kingdom is self-descriptive; the name Britain probably derives from the Celtic word pretani , meaning "painted people;" the designation of Great Britain for England, Scotland, and Wales dates back to medieval times and was used to distinguish the island from Little Britain, or Brittany, in modern France; the name Ireland evolved from the Gaelic name Eriu, which is possibly derived from the Old Celtic iveriu , meaning "good land"
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [81]

Government type:82

parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm
Source context

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Source note [82]

Capital:83

name:London
geographic coordinates:51 30 N, 0 05 W
time difference:UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
time zone note:the time statements apply to the United Kingdom proper, not to its crown dependencies or overseas territories
etymology:the name derives from the Roman settlement of Londinium, established on the current site of London around A.D. 43; the original meaning of the name is uncertain
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [83]

Administrative divisions:84

England:24 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*)
two-tier counties:Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Warwickshire, West Sussex, Worcestershire
London boroughs and City of London or Greater London:Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, City of London, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
metropolitan districts:Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Bury, Calderdale, Coventry, Doncaster, Dudley, Gateshead, Kirklees, Knowlsey, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, Sefton, Sheffield, Solihull, South Tyneside, St. Helens, Stockport, Sunderland, Tameside, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wigan, Wirral, Wolverhampton
unitary authorities:Bath and North East Somerset; Bedford; Blackburn with Darwen; Blackpool; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Bracknell Forest; Brighton and Hove; City of Bristol; Buckinghamshire; Central Bedfordshire; Cheshire East; Cheshire West and Chester; Cornwall; Darlington; Derby; Dorset; Durham County*; East Riding of Yorkshire; Halton; Hartlepool; Herefordshire*; Isle of Wight*; Isles of Scilly; City of Kingston upon Hull; Leicester; Luton; Medway; Middlesbrough; Milton Keynes; North East Lincolnshire; North Lincolnshire; North Northamptonshire; North Somerset; Northumberland*; Nottingham; Peterborough; Plymouth; Portsmouth; Reading; Redcar and Cleveland; Rutland; Shropshire; Slough; South Gloucestershire; Southampton; Southend-on-Sea; Stockton-on-Tees; Stoke-on-Trent; Swindon; Telford and Wrekin; Thurrock; Torbay; Warrington; West Berkshire; West Northamptonshire; Wiltshire; Windsor and Maidenhead; Wokingham; York
Northern Ireland:5 borough councils, 4 district councils, 2 city councils
borough councils:Antrim and Newtownabbey; Ards and North Down; Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon; Causeway Coast and Glens; Mid and East Antrim
district councils:Derry City and Strabane; Fermanagh and Omagh; Mid Ulster; Newry, Murne, and Down city councils: Belfast; Lisburn and Castlereagh
Scotland:32 council areas
council areas:Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney Islands, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Shetland Islands, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, The Scottish Borders, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian
Wales:22 unitary authorities
unitary authorities:Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, The Vale of Glamorgan, Torfaen, Wrexham
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [84]

Dependent areas:85

Anguilla; Bermuda; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks and Caicos Islands (12)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [85]

Legal system:86

common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998
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Source note [86]

Constitution:87

history:uncoded; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
amendment process:proposed as a bill for an Act of Parliament by the government, by the House of Commons, or by the House of Lords; passage requires agreement by both houses and by the monarch (Royal Assent)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [87]

International law organization participation:88

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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Source note [88]

Citizenship:89

citizenship by birth:no
citizenship by descent only:at least one parent must be a citizen of the United Kingdom
dual citizenship recognized:yes
residency requirement for naturalization:5 years
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Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [89]

Suffrage:90

18 years of age; universal
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [90]

Executive branch:91

chief of state:King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022)
head of government:Prime Minister Andy Burnham (as of 2026-10-30)
cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
election/appointment process:the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes the prime minister
note 1:in addition to serving as the UK head of state, the British sovereign is the constitutional monarch for 14 additional Commonwealth countries (each referred to as a "Commonwealth realm")
note 2 : King CHARLES III succeeded his mother, Queen ELIZABETH II, after serving as Prince of Wales (heir apparent) for over 64 years -- the longest such tenure in British history
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [91]

Legislative branch:92

legislature name:UK Parliament
legislative structure:bicameral
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [92]

Legislative branch - lower chamber:93

chamber name:House of Commons
number of seats:650 (all directly elected)
electoral system:plurality/majority
scope of elections:full renewal
term in office:5 years
most recent election date:7/4/2024
parties elected and seats per party:Labour Party (411); Conservative Party (121); Liberal Democrats (72); Other (46)
percentage of women in chamber:40.5%
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Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [93]

Legislative branch - upper chamber:94

chamber name:House of Lords
number of seats:800 (all appointed)
parties elected and seats per party:Conservative Party (286); Labour Party (212); Liberal Democrats (76); Crossover (Independents) 180; other (6)
percentage of women in chamber:31%
note:the number of total seats in the House of Lords does not include ineligible members or members on leave of absence
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [94]

Judicial branch:95

highest court(s):Supreme Court (consists of 12 justices, including the court president and deputy president)
judge selection and term of office:judge candidates selected by an independent committee of several judicial commissions, then recommended to the prime minister, and appointed by the monarch; justices serve for life
subordinate courts:England and Wales: Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland: Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland: Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [95]

Political parties:96

Alliance Party or APNI (Northern Ireland)
Conservative and Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party or DUP (Northern Ireland)
Green Party of England and Wales or Greens
Labor (Labour) Party
Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems)
Party of Wales (Plaid Cymru)
Reform UK
Scottish National Party or SNP
Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland)
Social Democratic and Labor Party or SDLP (Northern Ireland)
Traditional Unionist Voice or TUV
UK Independence Party or UKIP
Ulster Unionist Party or UUP (Northern Ireland)
Workers Party of Great Britian
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

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Source note [96]

Diplomatic representation in the US:97

chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires James ROSCOE (since 11 September 2025)
chancery:3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:[1] (202) 588-6500
FAX:[1] (202) 588-7870

email address and website

ukin.washington@fcdo.gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-washington
consulate(s) general:Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
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Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [97]

Diplomatic representation from the US:98

chief of mission:Ambassador Warren A. STEPHENS (since 21 May 2025)
embassy:33 Nine Elms Lane, London, SW11 7US
mailing address:8400 London Place, Washington DC 20521-8400
telephone:[44] (0) 20-7499-9000
FAX:[44] (0) 20-7891-3845

email address and website

SCSLondon@state.gov
https://uk.usembassy.gov/
consulate(s) general:Belfast, Edinburgh
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [98]

International organization participation:99

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BIS, C, CBSS (observer), CD, CDB, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), SELEC (observer), SICA (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNSOM, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [99]

Independence:100

no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1 January 1801 (Acts of Union unite Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland); 6 December 1921 (Anglo-Irish Treaty formalizes partition of Ireland; six counties become Northern Ireland and remain part of the UK); 12 April 1927 (Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act establishes current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [100]

National holiday:101

the UK does not celebrate one particular national holiday
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [101]

Flag:102

description:blue field with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white on top of the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland), which is on top of the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland)
history:the official name is the Union Flag, but commonly called the Union Jack; the design and colors have been the basis for a number of other flags
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [102]

National symbol(s):103

lion (all of Britain); lion, Tudor rose, oak (England); lion, unicorn, thistle (Scotland); dragon, daffodil, leek (Wales); shamrock, flax (Northern Ireland)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [103]

National color(s):104

red, white, blue (all of Britain); red, white (England); blue, white (Scotland); red, white, green (Wales)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [104]

National anthem(s):105

title:"God Save the King"
lyrics/music:unknown
history:in use since 1745; by tradition, the song serves as both the national and royal anthem; it is known as either "God Save the Queen" or "God Save the King," depending on the gender of the reigning monarch; it also serves as the royal anthem for many Commonwealth nations
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [105]

National heritage:106

total World Heritage Sites:33 (28 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in Bermuda
selected World Heritage Site locales:Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast (n); Ironbridge Gorge (c); Stonehenge, Avebury, and Associated Sites (c); Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (c); Blenheim Palace (c); City of Bath (c); Tower of London (c); St Kilda (m); Maritime Greenwich (c); Old and New Towns of Edinburgh (c); Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (c); The English Lake District (c)
Source context

Reference period: As stated in each note.

Original reference ↗

Source note [106]

Historical observations

Notes & sources

  1. Country name. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  2. Government type. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  3. Capital. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  4. Administrative divisions. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  5. Dependent areas. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  6. Legal system. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  7. Constitution. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  8. International law organization participation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  9. Citizenship. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  10. Suffrage. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  11. Executive branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Updated head of government; supported as of 2026-10-30; reviewed 2026-11-05T14:51:12.589Z. UK Government / Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street. Previous reference claim: Prime Minister Keir STARMER (since 5 July 2024). Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  12. Legislative branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  13. Legislative branch - lower chamber. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  14. Legislative branch - upper chamber. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  15. Judicial branch. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  16. Political parties. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  17. Diplomatic representation in the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  18. Diplomatic representation from the US. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  19. International organization participation. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  20. Independence. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  21. National holiday. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  22. Flag. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  23. National symbol(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  24. National color(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  25. National anthem(s). Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
  26. National heritage. Reference edition; observation: dates as stated in text. Field last updated: not supplied; profile fallback: 2025-12-04 13:07:35 -0500 (not a field revision date); needs review. Reference source. Edition retrieval date: not supplied (retrieval only). ↩
← EnvironmentNotes & sourcesEconomy →

Countries & territories

Same-year values. Equal values share a rank.

Sources & method

Ranks cover available countries and territories, using the same indicator, source unit and reference year. Unrounded source values determine ties. Coverage is not a sovereign-country or complete global ranking; national definitions may differ. Missing values and other years are excluded. The information icon preserves the original number, unit and evidence.

RankCountry or territoryValue
Source information
International organization

Source observations