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Publication - Statistics

Exports Statistics Scotland 2023

Published
25 November 2025
Directorate
Chief Economist Directorate
Topic
Business, industry and innovation, Economy

This publication presents estimates of the value of international and rest of the UK exports for all sectors of the Scottish economy from 2008 to 2023. Figures for changes over time are presented in 'real terms' meaning they have been adjusted for inflation. All values (£) of trade are given in current prices.

Part of

Supporting documents

EU exports have been in decline since 2017

Scotland’s exports to the EU valued an estimated £17.1 billion in 2023, whereas non-EU exports valued an estimated £20.6 billion. As a single market, the EU receives the largest share of Scotland’s exports, receiving 18% of all exports (including exports to the rest of the UK), and almost half (45%) of Scotland’s international exports in 2023. Scotland’s exports to the EU have accounted for between 44% and 49% of Scotland’s international export value since the series began in 2008.

As with international exports overall, the sectors with the highest value of exports to EU destinations in 2023 were ‘coke, refined petroleum & chemicals’, ‘food & drink’, and ‘professional, scientific & technical’, which together accounted for 44% of Scotland’s EU exports in value terms.  

Figure 11. ‘Coke, refined petroleum and chemical’ was the biggest sector in value terms for EU exports

Percentage of total current price value of exports to the EU, 2023

Looking at Scotland’s exports to EU and non-EU destinations over time, non-EU exports in 2023 were broadly similar to 2018 levels, whereas EU exports are 11% lower than pre-pandemic and pre-EU withdrawal levels in real terms. A peak in 2022 was seen for both EU and non-EU exports, followed by a decline in 2023. The value of Scotland’s exports to the EU has been in decline in real terms since 2017, the first year following the 2016 referendum on EU membership.

Figure 12. Non-EU exports are broadly similar to pre-pandemic and pre-EU withdrawal levels, whereas EU exports are lower than in 2018

Export value (£ billion) in current prices and real terms (deflated and chain-linked, index year = 2008), 2008-2023

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