The new UK Family Business Sector Report, produced by Oxford Economics for the Institute for Family Business (IFB) Research Foundation, reveals that family businesses’ GVA contribution to UK GDP has increased by £100 billion since 2010 – to £519 billion – meaning family firms now generate a quarter of UK GDP.
In the manufacturing sector only, there are over 235,000 family firms that employ 1.1 million people – providing 43.3% of private sector employment.
And they are growing, the report says – their turnover has increased by £9.4 billion in the last year only.
Explains IFB executive director Elizabeth Bagger: “Family businesses are the backbone of the UK economy – but their widespread presence and contribution to the economy are often underestimated. You will find family businesses all across the UK, in every industry sector – from sibling start-ups to multi-generational international brands. The family business manufacturing sector creates a substantial proportion of the UK’s GDP, and we are proud to champion and delighted to celebrate this incredible contribution.”
Other key findings from the report show that family firms now turn over £1.4 trillion annually, up 7.2% since 2010 and family businesses contributed £149 billion in taxes in 2016 – more than the annual NHS budget.
Adds Bagger: “Since 2010 there are a million more family businesses in the UK, proving that family firms are here to stay. Not only have family firms created an extra 2.3 million jobs since 2010, but their tax contribution each year is more than the annual NHS budget. This all demonstrates how growth in the family business sector benefits the UK economy, consumers, the exchequer and the millions who work in family businesses. To ensure family businesses continue to flourish, we’re calling on the government to support them with policies which allow family firms to plan and invest for the future.”
