Food & Agriculture
30 countersThe UK wastes approximately 9.5 million tonnes of food per year — worth around £17 billion — while distributing over 3 million food bank parcels. Britain produces approximately 60% of its own food, importing £65 billion worth annually creating a food trade deficit. Around 2.6 million chickens are slaughtered every day in the UK. The number of UK farms has fallen significantly since 1980 as agricultural land is lost to development. Food and agriculture data is sourced from DEFRA, WRAP, the Food Standards Agency and HMRC trade statistics.
Meals Eaten in UK Today
Meals Eaten in UK This Year
Food Wasted Today (tonnes)
Food Wasted This Year (tonnes)
Cost of Food Waste Today
Cost of Food Waste This Year
Food Bank Parcels Given Out Today
Food Bank Parcels This Year
Food Imported into UK Today (£)
Food Imported This Year (£)
Food Exported from UK Today (£)
Food Exported This Year (£)
UK Food Trade Deficit This Year
UK Food Self-Sufficiency
Animals Slaughtered Today
Animals Slaughtered This Year
Chickens Slaughtered Today
Pigs Slaughtered Today
Cattle Slaughtered Today
Fish Caught in UK Waters Today (tonnes)
Fish Caught This Year (tonnes)
Farms in UK
UK Farms Lost Since 1980
Agricultural Land in UK
Agricultural Land Lost to Development This Year (ha)
Pesticides Used in UK This Year (tonnes)
Fertiliser Used in UK This Year (tonnes)
Certified Organic Farms in UK
UK Grocery Market Share: Supermarkets vs Local
Cost of Food Poverty to UK Economy This Year
Frequently Asked Questions
Based on official UK government data
How much food is wasted in the UK each year?
The UK wastes approximately 9.5 million tonnes of food per year, according to WRAP statistics, at a cost of around £17 billion. This is equivalent to approximately 25 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Around 70% of food waste occurs in UK homes, with households throwing away the equivalent of 8 meals per week.
How many animals are slaughtered in the UK each year?
Approximately 1.2 billion animals are slaughtered for food in the UK each year, according to DEFRA statistics. This includes around 950 million chickens, 47 million pigs and 3.1 million cattle. UK per capita meat consumption is approximately 84kg per year.
How much food does the UK import each year?
The UK imports approximately £65 billion worth of food per year and exports approximately £25 billion, creating a food trade deficit of around £40 billion annually. The UK is approximately 60% self-sufficient in food it can grow domestically, making it reliant on imports for around 40% of its food supply.
How many farms are there in the UK and how much farmland is there?
There are approximately 216,000 farm holdings in the UK, covering around 17 million hectares of agricultural land — roughly 70% of the UK's total land area, according to DEFRA. The average farm size is around 80 hectares, but this figure masks huge variation between large arable farms in East Anglia and small livestock holdings in upland Wales and Scotland. The number of farms has declined by around a third since the 1980s as agricultural consolidation has progressed.
How much does food poverty cost the UK economy?
Food insecurity — defined as lacking reliable access to sufficient affordable, nutritious food — affects approximately 7.2 million people in the UK, according to the Food Foundation. Research by the Food Foundation and others estimates that the cost of food poverty, including its health consequences, could exceed £14 billion per year in additional NHS costs, lost productivity and wider welfare expenditure. Children in food-insecure households are significantly more likely to experience negative educational and health outcomes.
What are the UK's biggest supermarkets by market share?
According to Kantar market share data, the UK grocery market is dominated by Tesco (approximately 27% share), Sainsbury's (15%), Asda (13%), and Morrisons (9%). The discounters Aldi (10%) and Lidl (8%) have gained significant share during the cost of living crisis, with Aldi overtaking Morrisons as the UK's fourth-largest grocer by market share in 2023 — a remarkable shift for a chain with no presence in the UK until 1990. The weekly UK grocery bill averages approximately £96 per household.
UK Food & Agriculture — Key Statistics
Key metrics for UK food production, trade and consumption. Sources: DEFRA, WRAP, Kantar, Food Foundation.
| Statistic | Figure | Source / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Food wasted per year | 9.5 million tonnes | WRAP, 2023 |
| Value of food wasted | £17 billion/yr | WRAP estimate |
| UK food imports (value) | £65 billion/yr | HMRC Trade Statistics |
| UK food exports (value) | £25 billion/yr | HMRC Trade Statistics |
| Self-sufficiency in food | ~60% | DEFRA Food Security Report |
| Animals slaughtered per year | ~1.2 billion | DEFRA Animal Slaughter Stats |
| People in food insecurity | 7.2 million | Food Foundation, 2024 |
| Farm holdings in UK | 216,000 | DEFRA Agricultural Census |
Sources: DEFRA, WRAP, HMRC Trade Statistics, Food Foundation, Kantar Worldpanel
Related In-Depth Analysis
Editorial articles using official UK government data