Positive news for the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors, according to the ADS Industry Facts & Figures 2026 report published last week. The report shows robust growth in important metrics across the board for all the sectors.
In recent years, these sectors have been something of a UK success story where, as the report notes, they power future-focused advanced manufacturing, strengthen the economy and enhance our national security. Advanced manufacturing and national security have been rightly singled out as Growth Sectors in the government’s industrial strategy – areas where it is deemed that the UK can maintain competitive advantages and should focus on for growth.
The graph below from the report shows growth of value added to the UK economy by the sectors over the last decade, to £46.8 billion for 2025.
After a stumble during the Covid years, the sectors have returned to strong growth, which is very encouraging to see.
Much of the employment in the sector is highly skilled, and employment across the sectors, as well as revenues, has followed a similar growth path to that of value added, with the sector reaching current employment of 468,500 employees across the UK and a turnover of £109.9 billion. Of that turnover figure, exports account for £50 billion – a growth of 68% in 10 years.
These are encouraging figures indeed and the incoming government leadership would be well-advised to continue to focus on these sectors as areas that can drive economic growth for the UK in the coming years.
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The 2026 ADS Industry Facts and Figures guide shows the extent to which companies in our sectors serve as the industrial bedrock of the UK – delivering the well-paid jobs and high-tech exports we need to secure a prosperous future.
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