“The United Kingdom, located off the northwest coast of the European mainland, comprises the three nations of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Northern Ireland. It has a population of around 64 million, mostly concentrated in urban areas. It is a high-income country and one of the largest economies in the European Union (EU). However, the economy was adversely affected by the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, contributing to an increase in the unemployment rate that remained at 6.1% in 2014.

“The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy, with two houses of parliament for the United Kingdom, a Scottish Parliament and National Assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland; there is no separate administration for England. From 1997, many powers have been devolved from the central United Kingdom Government to separate administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including responsibility for health care.”

Source: Cylus J, Richardson E, Findley L, Longley M, O’Neill C, Steel D. United Kingdom: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2015; 17(5): 1–125.

Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems in the US and several other nations.

Page last updated March 8, 2021 by Doug McVay, Editor.