According to our database, a total of more than 7.4M businesses operate in the UK. Only 4.1% of them, approximately 304 thousand, operate in manufacturing. These companies generate sales of GBP 1.1T a year, which is 7.4% of the total sales generated by all UK businesses. Manufacturing employs 4.9M people, which is 6.6% of all UK employees.
All data used below is available in individual companies’ annual reports.
AstraZeneca had the highest sales
The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plc is the largest. In 2021, AstraZeneca plc generated GBP 30.3B in sales while in 2020 its sales were just GBP 21B. This increase was driven by the COVID-19 vaccine.
BAE – Systems plc is second. The company generated GBP 19.5B in sales in 2021, which is GBP 300M more than the year before. The company produces armored vehicles.
The automaker Jaguar Land Rover limited is third. Its 2021 sales were over GBP 16.4B. Compared to 2020, the sales decreased by GBP 3.4B.
UK: Sales of TOP 10 manufacturing companies in 2021 (in GBP)
Johnson Matthey plc is fourth. The company operates in the chemical industry. In 2021, Johnson Matthey plc generated GBP 16B in sales, which represents a year-on-year increase of about GBP 600M.
Wittington Investments Limited is a holding company that owns a majority stake in Associated British Foods (which, in turn, operates in food production and retail and owns brands such as Primark, British Sugar, and Fortnum & Mason). In 2021, Wittington Investments Limited had sales of GBP 14B (a decrease of almost GBP 100M compared to 2020).
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc is the sixth largest manufacturing company in the UK. It was created by the merger of three European Coca-Cola companies producing a wide range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. The company made more than GBP 11.8B in sales in 2021 and GBP £9.1B in 2020.
Rolls-Royce, the company producing luxury cars, engines for civil and military aircrafts, and various stabilization and control systems, is seventh with GBP 11.2B in sales in 2021.
Evraz plc is eighth with 2021 sales of GBP 10.9B. The company focuses on steel processing and production.
The last 2 companies on our TOP 10 list of manufacturing businesses in the UK both generated less than GBP 10B in 2021. Ford Motor Company Limited, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, generated more than GBP 9.3B in sales. Dyson Technology Limited, which produces household appliances and electronics, had sales of over GBP 4.5B.
UK: Sales of TOP 10 manufacturing companies between 2018 and 2021 (in GBP)
| Company | Financial Statements |
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca PLC | Consolidated | £ 18,003,259,984 | £ 17,237,381,592 | £ 21,624,014,948 | £ 30,398,082,704 |
| BAE – Systems plc | Consolidated | £ 16,821,000,000 | £ 18,305,000,000 | £ 19,277,000,000 | £ 19,521,000,000 |
| Jaguar Land Rover limited | Unconsolidated | £ 21,945,000,000 | £ 20,870,000,000 | £ 19,849,000,000 | £ 16,473,000,000 |
| Johnson Matthey plc | Consolidated | £ 10,745,000,000 | £ 14,577,000,000 | £ 15,435,000,000 | £ 16,025,000,000 |
| Wittington Investments limited | Consolidated | £ 15,771,000,000 | £ 16,025,000,000 | £ 14,133,000,000 | £ 14,079,000,000 |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc | Consolidated | £ 10,307,857,526 | £ 10,277,967,841 | £ 9,130,509,642 | £ 11,848,312,672 |
| Rolls-Royce plc | Consolidated | £ 15,729,000,000 | £ 16,587,000,000 | £ 11,491,000,000 | £ 11,218,000,000 |
| EVRAZ plc | Consolidated | £ 12,836,000,000 | £ 8,522,442,551 | £ 7,678,934,113 | £ 10,956,210,903 |
| Ford Motor Company plc | Unconsolidated | £ 12,909,000,000 | £ 12,995,000,000 | £ 8,792,000,000 | £ 9,303,000,000 |
| Dyson Technology limited | Consolidated | £ 3,904,800,000 | £ 4,760,400,000 | £ 4,876,500,000 | £ 4,566,600,000 |
EVRAZ plc had the highest before and after tax profit
Evraz plc had the highest profit before tax among the TOP 10 manufacturing companies in the UK in 2021 - GBP 3.5B, which is an increase of more than GBP 2B compared to 2020. BAE - Systems plc is second with GBP 2.1B, which is almost GBP 500M more year-on-year. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc was third with profit before tax of just under GBP 1.2B. The following four companies in the ranking all had a profit of less than GBP 1B - Wittington Investments Limited (GBP 852M), Dyson Technology Limited (GBP 418M), Ford Motor Company Limited (GBP 249M), Johnson Matthey plc (GBP 195M).
The remaining three ended 2021 with a loss - AstraZeneca plc (GBP -215M), Rolls-Royce plc (GBP -294M), Jaguar Land Rover Limited (GBP -1.7B).
UK: Earnings before tax of TOP 10 manufacturing companies between 2018 and 2021 (in GBP)
| Company | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVRAZ plc | £ 3,201,000,000 | £ 645,715,513 | £ 1,415,224,632 | £ 3,551,060,200 |
| BAE – Systems plc | £ 1,224,000,000 | £ 1,626,000,000 | £ 1,596,000,000 | £ 2,110,000,000 |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc | £ 1,078,396,277 | £ 1,243,585,358 | £ 598,312,672 | £ 1,189,738,262 |
| Wittington Investments limited | £ 1,252,000,000 | £ 1,271,000,000 | £ 655,000,000 | £ 852,000,000 |
| Dyson Technology limited | £ 485,500,000 | £ 544,000,000 | £ 450,000,000 | £ 418,700,000 |
| Ford Motor Company plc | £ 243,000,000 | £ 376,000,000 | £ 72,000,000 | £ 249,000,000 |
| Johnson Matthey plc | £ 488,000,000 | £ 305,000,000 | £ 224,000,000 | £ 195,000,000 |
| AstraZeneca PLC | £ 1,624,286,879 | £ 1,094,302,276 | £ 3,181,411,975 | £ -215,289,625 |
| Rolls-Royce plc | £ -3,063,000,000 | £ -775,000,000 | £ -2,799,000,000 | £ -294,000,000 |
| Jaguar Land Rover limited | £ 628,000,000 | £ -3,872,000,000 | £ -708,000,000 | £ -1,753,000,000 |
In the case of profits after tax, the ranking of the companies did not change significantly. The top three companies are the same as in the case of profit before tax - Evraz plc (GBP 2.8B), BAE – Systems (GBP 1.9B), Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc (GBP 850M). Wittington Investments Limited is fourth with GBP 612M. All other companies made less than half a billion pounds - Dyson Technology Limited (GBP 351M), Ford Motor Company Limited (GBP 203M), Rolls – Royce plc (GBP 124M), Johnson Matthey plc (GBP 116M), AstraZeneca plc (GBP 93M). Jaguar Land Rover Limited was the only loss-making company (GBP -1.7B)
UK: Earnings after tax of TOP 10 manufacturing companies between 2018 and 2021 (in GBP)
| Company | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVRAZ plc | £ 2,470,000,000 | £ 261,292,863 | £ 1,112,194,329 | £ 2,862,945,812 |
| BAE – Systems plc | £ 1,033,000,000 | £ 1,532,000,000 | £ 1,371,000,000 | £ 1,912,000,000 |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc | £ 813,495,615 | £ 932,261,375 | £ 428,719,008 | £ 850,550,964 |
| Wittington Investments limited | £ 998,000,000 | £ 972,000,000 | £ 437,000,000 | £ 612,000,000 |
| Dyson Technology limited | £ 422,700,000 | £ 467,600,000 | £ 391,500,000 | £ 351,300,000 |
| Ford Motor Company plc | £ 166,000,000 | £ 293,000,000 | £ 76,000,000 | £ 203,000,000 |
| Rolls-Royce plc | £ -2,489,000,000 | £ -1,215,000,000 | £ -3,101,000,000 | £ 124,000,000 |
| Johnson Matthey plc | £ 413,000,000 | £ 255,000,000 | £ 194,000,000 | £ 116,000,000 |
| AstraZeneca PLC | £ 1,670,741,646 | £ 867,383,006 | £ 2,554,228,613 | £ 93,427,573 |
| Jaguar Land Rover limited | £ 526,000,000 | £ -3,464,000,000 | £ -656,000,000 | £ -1,755,000,000 |
