Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2021

Data relating to the Production (including Manufacturing), Construction and Service Sectors in Scotland.


Main Sectors

In 2021, approximate Gross Value Added at basic prices (aGVA) of the non-financial business economy was estimated to be £99.3 billion. This is an increase of 21.9% compared with 2020. This steep increase reflects the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on economic output in 2020 and the on-going recovery of the economy in 2021.

Figure 1: Between 2020 and 2021, aGVA increased for all four of the main sectors of the non-financial business economy. Services aGVA was up by 15.3%, Primary Industries up by 47.1%, Manufacturing up by 17.5% and Construction up by 25.8%. All the main sectors had returned to pre-pandemic levels of aGVA, except for Services which was still 4.9% down on 2019.

Scotland's non-financial business economy, aGVA, by sector, 2019 to 2021

Bar chart showing Scotland's non-financial business economy, aGVA, by sector from 2019 to 2021. In 2020, aGVA in the Services sector was £48.8 billion which increased to £56.2 billion in 2021. Whilst in 2020, aGVA in the Manufacturing sector was £12.2 billion which increased to £14.3 billion in 2021. The main sectors in 2021 returned to 2019 pre-pandemic levels of aGVA, except for Services.

Source: Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2021 from the Scottish Government (download data for Figure 1 from Scotland by Sector Table)

Services Sector

In 2021, the Services sector accounted for an estimated £56.2 billion of the total non-financial business economy aGVA (56.6%). Between 2020 and 2021, aGVA in the Services sector increased by £7.4 billion (15.3%). However, in 2021, aGVA in the Services sector had still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels (Services aGVA was £59.1 billion in 2019).

Figure 2: Within Services, Accommodation and food service activities saw the largest year-on-year aGVA percentage increase, with aGVA increasing by 33.8% between 2020 and 2021. However, in 2021, aGVA for Accommodation and food service activities had still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

Scotland's Services Sections, aGVA percentage change between 2020 and 2021

Bar chart showing Scotland's Services Sections, aGVA percentage change between 2020 and 2021. Accommodation and food service activities saw the largest year-on-year aGVA percentage increase, with aGVA increasing by 33.8% (from £2.6 billion to £3.4 billion) between 2020 and 2021. Whilst next largest increase was in Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities with aGVA increasing by 24.3% (from £9.4 billion to £11.7 billion) between 2020 and 2021.

Source: Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2021 from the Scottish Government (download data for Figure 2 from Scotland by Sector Table)

Primary Industries

In 2021, the Primary Industries sector accounted for an estimated £20.4 billion of total non-financial business economy aGVA (20.5%).

Between 2020 and 2021, aGVA in the Primary Industries sector increased by £6.5 billion (47.1%), taking aGVA for the sector above its pre-pandemic level in 2019. The industry division contributing most to the sector increase was Extraction of Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas (division 6) (up £4.8 billion between 2020 and 2021). 

Note that data for division 6 includes off-shore oil and gas activity; off-shore activity, under UK regional accounts procedures, is normally allocated to a separate ‘Extra Regio’ category rather than allocated to a region within the UK. 

Manufacturing Sector

In 2021, the Manufacturing sector accounted for an estimated £14.3 billion of the total non-financial business economy aGVA (14.4%). Between 2020 and 2021, aGVA in the Manufacturing sector increased by £2.1 billion (17.5%), taking aGVA for the sector above pre-pandemic levels. 

Figure 3: Within Manufacturing, the Manufacture of Wearing Apparel division saw the largest year-on-year aGVA percentage increase, with aGVA increasing by 103.1% between 2020 and 2021

Scotland's Manufacturing Divisions, aGVA percentage change between 2020 and 2021

Bar chart showing Scotland's Manufacturing Divisions, aGVA percentage change between 2020 and 2021. Manufacture of Wearing Apparel saw the largest year-on-year aGVA percentage increase, with aGVA increasing by 103.1% (from £52 million to £106 million) between 2020 and 2021. Whilst next largest increase was in Other Manufacturing e.g. of medical instruments, with aGVA increasing by 90.1% (from £315 million to £599 million) between 2020 and 2021.

Source: Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2021 from the Scottish Government (download data for Figure 3 from Scotland by Division Table)

Construction Sector

In 2021, the Construction sector accounted for an estimated £8.5 billion of total non-financial business economy aGVA (8.5%).  Between 2020 and 2021, aGVA in the Construction sector increased by £1.7 billion (25.8%), taking aGVA for the sector above pre-pandemic levels.

Within Construction, the Construction of Buildings division saw the largest year-on-year aGVA percentage increase, with aGVA increasing by 41.8% between 2020 and 2021.

Contact

For enquiries about this publication please contact:

Marina Curran

Business & Innovation Statistics

Office of the Chief Economic Adviser

e-mail: industrystatistics@gov.scot
 

For general enquiries about Scottish Government statistics please contact:

Office of the Chief Statistician

e-mail: statistics.enquiries@gov.scot

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