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Facts & Figures

The Mineral Products Industry supplies the essential raw and manufactured mineral products to support future sustainable economic growth, whilst also playing its part in the transition to a low carbon and more circular economy.

The sector represents the largest element of the construction supply chain, a supplier of essential key raw materials and products to many other industries, and the largest material flow in the UK economy.

A healthy domestic Mineral Products Industry is vital for the UK.

At a glance (2018)

400mt

Production of aggregates and manufactured mineral products (GB)

4 times

The volume of energy minerals produced in the UK including oil, gas and coal

£16bn

Annual turnover for the Minerals and Mineral Products Industry (UK)

£597bn

Annual turnover of the industries we supply (UK)

£5.8bn

Gross value added generated by the industry (UK)

£172bn

Value of construction output, our main customer (UK)

81,000

People employed in the industry (UK)

3.5m

Jobs supported in our supply chain (UK)

Minerals and mineral products sales in Great Britain (2018)

CONSTRUCTION USES (million tonnes)

378.9

Aggregates

251.0

of which:

Crushed rock

117.3

 

Sand & gravel - land won

48.9

 

Sand & gravel - marine

13.7

  Recycled & secondary 71.0
Cementitious(a) 15.2
of which: Cement 11.7
  Other cementitious materials
(Fly ash, GGBS)
3.4
Ready-mixed concrete(b) 54.2
Concrete products 32.0
Asphalt 25.4
Dimension stone(c) 1.0

NON-CONSTRUCTION USES (million tonnes)

21.6

Limestone & dolomite(c) 14.9
of which:  Industrial lime 1.2
  Agricultural lime(c) 1.6
Industrial sand 4.9
China clay(a) 1.0
Ball clay(a) 0.9
ALL CONSTRUCTION AND NON-CONSTRUCTION USES (million tonnes) 400.6

(a) Includes Northern Ireland. (b) Converted using 2.38 tonnes per cubic metre of ready-mixed concrete. (c) Latest data available is for 2014.

Further information is available in our publication “Profile of the UK Mineral Products Industry  - 2020 Edition”. 

Profile of the UK Mineral Products Industry - 2020 Edition

Presenting detailed analysis of the latest data for each product, the review highlights the significant contribution the industry makes to the UK economy from over 2,000 active sites and plants.

Published: 2021

Download

Statistical Workbook

'Profile of the UK Mineral Products Industry' supporting statistics workbook.

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