UK: TOP 10 Manufacturing Companies with Highest Sales

According to our database (as of March 2023), a total of more than 7.4M businesses are registered in the UK. Only 4.1% of them, approximately 304 thousand, operate in manufacturing. These companies generate GBP 1.1T in sales per year, which is 7.4% of the total sales generated by all UK-based businesses. Manufacturing employs 4.9M people, which is 6.6% of all UK employees. All data used in this overview is available in individual companies’ annual reports.

AstraZeneca had the highest sales in 2021

The pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca plc had the highest sales in 2021 - GBP 30.3B. In 2020, its sales were just GBP 21B. This increase was driven by the COVID-19 vaccine.

BAE – Systems plc was second. The company generated GBP 19.5B in sales in 2021, which is GBP 300M more than the year before. The company produces armoured vehicles.

The automaker Jaguar Land Rover limited was third with more than GBP 16.4B in sales in 2021. Compared to 2020, the sales decreased by GBP 3.4B.

Johnson Matthey plc was fourth. In 2021, the company generated GBP 16B in sales, which represents a year-on-year increase of about GBP 600M. Johnson Matthey plc operates in the chemical industry.

Wittington Investments Limited was fifth with GBP 14B in sales (a decrease of almost GBP 100M compared to 2020). It 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).

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc was sixth with more than GBP 11.8B in sales in 2021 (GBP 9.1B in 2020). The company was created by the merger of three European Coca-Cola companies producing a wide range of non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

Rolls-Royce, the company producing luxury cars, engines for civil and military aircrafts, and various stabilisation and control systems, was seventh with GBP 11.2B in sales in 2021.

Evraz plc was eighth with GBP 10.9B in sales. The company focuses on steel processing and production.

Ford Motor Company Limited, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, was ninth with more than GBP 9.3B in sales in 2021.

Dyson Technology Limited, which produces household appliances and electronics, was tenth with sales of over GBP 4.5B.

Evraz plc had the highest profit both before and after tax in 2021

Evraz plc had the highest profit before tax in 2021 - GBP 3.5B (an increase of more than GBP 2B compared to 2020). BAE - Systems plc was second with GBP 2.1B (an increase of almost GBP 500M year-on-year). Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc was third with a profit before tax of just under GBP 1.2B. Wittington Investments Limited (GBP 852M), Dyson Technology Limited (GBP 418M), Ford Motor Company Limited (GBP 249M), and Johnson Matthey plc (GBP 195M) all had a profit before tax of less than GBP 1B each in 2021. AstraZeneca plc (GBP -215M), Rolls-Royce plc (GBP -294M), and Jaguar Land Rover Limited (GBP -1.7B) all reported a loss in 2021.

Evraz plc also reported the highest profit after tax (GBP 2.8B). BAE – Systems (GBP 1.9B), Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc (GBP 850M), and Wittington Investments Limited (GBP 612M) were second, third, and fourth respectively. All other companies reported less than half a billion pounds in profit after tax - 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 company that reported a loss (GBP -1.7B).