Scottish Annual Business Statistics 2021

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

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

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

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.