Economy

The Cumbrian Economy

Cumbria is England’s second largest county representing 48% of the land mass of the North West.   The area is home to the beautiful Lake District and half the county is designated as National Park or Areas of Outstanding National Beauty.   Alongside this physical beauty is an economy which provides employment for over 215,000 people in over 20,000 enterprises which together produces £6.7bn in gross value.   Major business sectors include manufacturing, tourism-related and the public sector.   The workforce has internationally renowned skills in nuclear, naval shipbuilding and specialist engineering.   However, Cumbria also has some of the most deprived wards in the UK, a dissipating and ageing population, and Gross Added Value (GVA) almost 25% below the national average. 

The statistics in the table below provide an overview of the economy in Cumbria with comparisons to the North West and the UK.   More detailed statistical summaries can be found via the menu on the left.